- Royal Dutch Shell's (RDS.A, RDS.B) plans to move Bakken crude oil by rail to its Anacortes refinery in northwest Washington state are on hold after a Skagit County hearing examiner ruled that its proposal requires an environmental and public health risk review, which could take a year or more.
- The ruling overturns a county decision in August that said the Shell proposal to build a rail yard and spur line to handle 102-car oil trains at the refinery could obtain a permit without the full-blown review.
- The move comes just days after oil train derailments caused fires in Ontario and West Virginia, which have raised public concern about moving crude by rail, particularly Bakken crude.