Protesters Block Delivery of Pipeline in Washington State

From Louisiana to Ohio, Pennsylvania to Texas, anti-pipeline protesters continue to oppose the construction of much-needed energy infrastructure. Last week, protesters at the Port of Vancouver in Washington state prevented the unloading and delivery of pipeline that will be used in the expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline.

The Associated Press reported:

(At) least five people climbed up and chained themselves on the dock where the shipment is to be loaded off of.

Other “kayaktivists” were in the surrounding water, rallying behind the climbers to stop this project they say “is jeopardizing a livable future for everyone on this planet.”

The protest is one of several at the port over the past month, including one in mid-October when 17 people blocked train tracks with the goal of disrupting transport of the pipe.”

The expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline will include a parallel line to the existing pipeline, allowing for a tripling of the system’s capacity – and to more efficiently and safely transport crude oil.

As Grow America’s Infrastructure Now spokesman Craig Stevens noted in a recent op-ed, environmentalists should consider the big picture when opposing pipeline projects such as the Trans Mountain expansion:

It is worth noting, as Forbes contributor Brigham A. McCown wrote in January, that protesters undermine their own argument by opposing American energy infrastructure development. Opposing the construction of modern pipelines will not minimize our nation’s need for oil and gas. Rather, it will only increase the use of truck and rail for transport, both of which are less environmentally friendly, less safe, and less efficient.