Mike Stanton ILWU Local 8

On behalf of 500 Longshore workers in Portland, ILWU Local 8 President Mike Stanton announces the union’s opposition to a propane terminal proposal for the Port of Portland.

A proposal to build a $500 million propane export terminal in Portland is being pushed through by the largest pipeline company in the Canadian tar sands region, Pembina Pipeline Corporation, without appropriate citizen input and government oversight. And Portlanders are outraged. A cadre of faith, labor and environmental justice groups, bike riders, “Raging Grannies,” and other protesters say the terminal would threaten Portland’s reputation as an environmental leader and should be rejected.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 8, which represents 500 longshore men and women at the Port of Portland, publicly announced its opposition to the pipeline project. Mike Stanton, ILWU Local 8 president, testified to the board, “Propane exports squander the port’s potential by squeezing out rail capacity for other cargoes, including Oregon agricultural projects, containers and more. Pembina’s promise of jobs — other than a short initial construction burst — is simply false.”

This terminal is one of many projects proposed around the country originating in the tar sands that have been met with resistance by grassroots groups.

From an article titled ‘Portlandia: Tar Sands Fuel Exporter or Climate Champion?’ in the Huffington Post