Temporary ban continues ‘protecting the people of Whatcom County and the environment’
Whatcom County Council members extended a temporary ban on shipment of unrefined fossil fuels from the oil refineries at Cherry Point on a 5-2 vote after a lengthy public hearing Tuesday night.
Councilmember Todd Donovan said the moratorium was needed as county officials work toward updating a comprehensive plan for industry in the region.
Council members Tyler Byrd and Barbara Brenner voted against the extension, which is the eighth such measure since mid-2016.
It prevents new or expanded operations in the Cherry Point Urban Growth Area and the shipment of unrefined fossil fuels through its terminal.
Brenner said the ban is bad for business because it creates uncertainty in the petroleum industry.
“I think we create a lot of distrust in the Cherry Point community by doing this,” Brenner said during the council meeting.
Several members of the community — plus oil industry officials and environmental advocates — spoke passionately for and against the measure Tuesday night.
Councilmember Carol Frazey said that some criticism of the nearly four-year ban has proved unfounded.
“When this first started, they said jobs would leave and all that,” Frazey said. “And jobs have not left, and also the industry keeps profiting. With this moratorium in place, it’s just protecting the people of Whatcom County and the environment.”
An updated draft of the proposed amendments was posted online July 16 and has been sent to the Planning Commission and to Planning and Development Services for review. It allows existing refineries to continue operating with certain limits but prohibits new fossil fuel refineries and restricts refinery expansion.
It also encourages the development of renewable energy facilities and sustainable businesses in the face of climate change.
Future of industry at Cherry Point was a key issue in this year’s races for Whatcom County Council and for county executive.
The Cherry Point industrial zone west of Ferndale is a 7,000-acre tract that’s home to two oil refineries, an aluminum smelter and some of the area’s highest-paying jobs.
