Over 500 people from around State converged in San Luis Obispo Thursday with the goal of halting a project that would bring mile-long oil trains through the heart of their county, and through much of coastal California and western states. The staff of experts at the San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission agrees, asking commissioners to deny the application from the Phillips 66 oil company to build a rail spur at their refinery to accommodate three trainloads of oil a week from undisclosed sources outside the state. Opponents say crude oil shipments would likely come from Canada’s tar sands or North Dakota Bakken crude. The controversy has sparked an outcry from citizen groups and professional organizations throughout the state and nation. Pacifica’s Vic Bedoian reports.