WASHINGTON — Railroads hauling crude oil would be required to develop comprehensive plans for dealing with a significant oil spill, including providing detailed information to state and tribal authorities, under a rule proposed Wednesday by the Department of Transportation.
The proposal also includes a new testing method for shippers to determine the volatility of oil shipments.
Oil is often transported in trains with as many as 100 tank cars at a time. At least 27 oil trains have derailed in the U.S. and Canada in the last decade, often leading to fiery explosions and extensive environmental damage. Local authorities have complained in the past that they’ve been unable to obtain information or there have been delays in obtaining information from railroads.
Last month, a Union Pacific Railroad oil train derailed in the scenic Columbia River Gorge along the Oregon-Washington border. The derailment released 42,000 gallons of crude oil and sparked a massive fire that burned for 14 hours.
The proposed rule would “hold industry accountable to plan and prepare for the worst-case scenario,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said.
The Association of American Railroads said in a statement that it is reviewing the 217-page proposal, and that railroads already have response plans in place.
The rule would require railroads to position teams that can respond with equipment and manpower within 12 hours to an oil train derailment. But the department also asks for industry and public comments on whether a maximum six hours to respond would be more appropriate in areas where there is high volume of oil train traffic or that are environmentally sensitive.
U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, both Democrats from Washington who have worked to strengthen crude-by-rule regulations, urged the department to act swiftly to adopt the rules.
“To better protect communities and the environment from accidents like this one, we urge you to immediately initiate a rulemaking to mandate comprehensive oil spill response plans for rail carriers,” the senators wrote in the letter. “Throughout Washington state, rail lines are adjacent to some of our nation’s most prized natural resources that are economic drivers for local communities and have supported tribal nations since time immemorial. To protect these irreplaceable assets, we must have robust policies in place to respond when accidents do happen.”
Vancouver fire Chief Joe Molina said the new rules are a step in the right direction.
“Any time we can get more comprehensive plans, that helps,” Molina said.
After an initial review of the proposed rule changes, the fire chief voiced concern there wasn’t enough focus on fires, which often follow a train derailment.
“I hope in the future they consider not only oil spill, but also fire,” he said.
During the 2015 Washington legislative session, lawmakers approved House Bill 1449, which boosted the state’s regulatory efforts when it comes to oil trains.
One of the key components of the measure ensured oil refineries shared information about the type of oil and volume they were receiving with first responders.
Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., praised the proposal, saying it would “ensure that personnel are trained and available, that equipment is in place to respond to a spill, and that procedures are established before a spill occurs.” He said he will urge the department to include ethanol shipments in addition to crude oil in the proposal.
Like crude oil, ethanol is also sometimes shipped in trains with large numbers of tank cars that, if derailed, can spill their contents and ignite fierce fires that spread to other cars.
Lauren Dake contributed to this report.
