— by Phuong Le, Associated Press, for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer SeattlePI.com —
The potential risk of an oil spill is likely to spike if three marine terminals are completed, bringing increased oil tanker and other vessel traffic through the greater Puget Sound region, according to a new study released by the Puget Sound Partnership, a state agency.
The vessel-traffic study measures the changing levels of risk for the Salish Sea if the Trans Mountain pipeline is expanded to bring more crude oil from Alberta’s oil sands to the Vancouver, B.C., area. The study also takes into account proposed coal-export terminals at Cherry Point, Washington, and Delta, British Columbia.
If completed, the projects together would increase the time large ships and oil barges are operating on waters by 25 percent, and the potential for a high-volume oil spill could rise by an estimated 68 percent over 2010, the base year studied, the study says. The frequency of accidents such as collisions and groundings could rise by 18 percent, it adds.
(To read the full article, go to seattlepi.com/business/energy/article/Study-measures-oil-spill-risks-from-projects )
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traffic x more = higher risk