More than interesting was the caterwauling when Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, proposed funding interagency equipage, personnel, and training to better emergency response in the event of train derailment and/or spill/release of hazmat.
In activists’ and demagogic responders’ minds, crude oil is their sole focus, evil coal a close second. Politicians use sensation of a train wreck for face time, campaign largesse. Herrera Beutler’s proposal for preparedness twisted in the foul wind of partisan politics and left-wing activism, becoming “support” for Big Oil and “coal at any cost.”
The surprise of the June 3 derailment was that Oregon’s Gov. Kate Brown did not declare, by fiat, the railroad a threat, or ban all petroleum and coal from transiting Oregon.
Few realize how much volatility passes through by rail — industrial solvents, diesel fuel, refined oil, liquefied gases, chlorine, ammonia, acids/bases, pesticides, herbicides, explosives, radioactive material, heavy metals.