Train carrying 3 million gallons of crude still burning
Monday’s derailment and explosion of an oil train in rural West Virginia added more fuel to the debate over the safety of transporting oil by rail.
The incident near Mount Carbon, W.Va., quickly reverberated in Washington, where leaders continue to grapple with possible changes to oil- and rail-related regulations. The result could affect Vancouver, where two companies want to build what would be the nation’s largest oil-by-rail terminal at the Port of Vancouver.
The train involved in Monday’s explosion was reportedly carrying crude oil from the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota — the same product already rolling through Clark County daily, and the same product that’s been linked to a series of fiery derailments in recent years.
“It’s a reminder of how dangerous this oil by rail is to our communities and the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area,” said Michael Lang, conservation director for advocacy group Friends of the Columbia Gorge.
About two to three oil trains per day currently travel through the Gorge and Clark County on the way to other facilities. Tesoro Corp. and Savage Cos. want to build a new oil transfer terminal in Vancouver that would handle about 360,000 barrels of crude per day, or up to four additional trains daily. The proposal, known as Vancouver Energy, has put a spotlight on Vancouver as the rise of oil by rail generates national headlines.
The issue has also prompted a set of bills in the Washington Legislature, including one that advanced Tuesday.
House Bill 1449, called the Oil Transportation Safety Act by proponents, passed out of the House Environment Committee. The measure aims to increase transparency and safety requirements when it comes to transporting oil by rail and waterways. Among other things, the bill would require railroads to create an oil-spill response plan and notify the state on transportation routes and the type of oil being hauled.
Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee requested the legislation. The recent explosion, the governor said through a spokeswoman, illustrates the need for swift action.
“Derailments and explosions involving crude oil trains are (a) major concern of Washingtonians,” Jaime Smith, the governor’s spokeswoman, said. “This recent accident highlights the need for robust action by both Congress and our Legislature to reduce the risks associated with moving crude oil by rail.”
Rep. Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver, who signed on to the bill as a co-sponsor, called the risk “extreme.”
“If there was ever a time when the industry would be extra careful, it would be now with so many pending facilities and particularly in Washington state,” Wylie said, and yet, “they are still having accidents.”
Virtually no crude oil traveled through Washington on trains in 2011. Now, millions of barrels of oil roll along the state’s railroads every year, according to the state Department of Ecology.
The rapid increase and questions about preparedness have put pressure on regulators and emergency responders. Another derailment involving an oil train only amplifies the issue, said Lisa Copeland, a spokeswoman for the ecology department.
“I think it just brings more heightened awareness to the issue again, and we need that,” Copeland said. “We need the public to understand what authority we have and what authority we don’t.”
While Washington has robust requirements in place for marine vessels carrying oil, it doesn’t have the same authority on railroads, Copeland said. There, state officials are more at the mercy of federal rules or the railroads themselves, she said. The reluctance of railroads to provide information on the oil they carry into Washington highlighted one gap that needed to be addressed, she said.
“It’s kind of hard to prepare first responders across the state when we’re not sure what’s coming through,” Copeland said.
The Department of Ecology last year began a comprehensive review of oil transport in Washington. Many of the preliminary recommendations that resulted from it became legislative proposals in Olympia this year. A final report is due out next month.
