Federal government blocks BP Cherry Point north wing, limits crude oil volume

B y I an H aupt

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will require BP to limit the volume of crude oil handled at its Cherry Point terminal to 191 million barrels per year and prohibit handling crude oil at its north wing dock unless authorized.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will modify its 1996 permit to comply with the Magnuson Amendment’s restrictions re- garding the handling of crude oil at Puget Sound facilities, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and other legal requirements, according to a January 23 Corps press release. The Corps are also requiring BP to report the number of vessel calls and the volume of crude oil handled at the terminal each year to ensure compliance.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson Andrew Muñoz said BP will be required to report its vessel calls and crude oil volume annually.

“That is really the only way [the Corps] can ensure that the ESA and Magnuson Amendment restrictions are being followed,” Muñoz said.

In 1996, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved a permit to add a north wing to the already operational south wing of the Cherry Point dock, originally built seen to these numbers was right before the 2008 recession when there were about 70 residential unit permits issued, she said.

Last January, the city began using a hearing examiner, instead of planning commission, to review applications such as conditional use permits and preliminary plat applications before being considered by city council. The city also digitized its permit intake, which Pratschner said accommodated growth.

CDS is projecting conservative reve-

(See Building, page 6)