United Grain in Vancouver resumes exports

Published 9:15 am Thursday, July 2, 2020

United Grain Corporation reopened Wednesday the West Coast’s largest grain export terminal, which had been closed for four days as the company and health officials moved to contain the coronavirus.

The terminal was closed the afternoon of June 26 after two workers tested positive for COVID-19. The terminal resumed operations after the facility was sanitized and workers who had been exposed to the two sick employees had been quarantined, company spokeswoman Stephanie McClintock said.

Company employees, along with Longshoremen and state grain inspectors, were tested. The company had not yet received the results as of Wednesday, she said.

“We wanted to be cautious and get everyone tested,” McClintock said.

Anyone who tests positive will be isolated and their close contacts will be asked to quarantine for 14 days, according to Clark County Public Health.

The terminal has more than 290 silos for segregating wheat and corn. The elevator has the largest capacity on the West Coast, able to handle 5 million tons a year, according to the port.

“We were in the full swing of things and that all stopped,” McClintock said. “It was just putting our employees first. You hear about it happening to someone else, but when it happens to you, whoa!”

United Grain has continued to operate throughout the pandemic as an essential business. The company leases the terminal from the port.

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