Letter: Effort made to help protect public

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.

Much must be answered as to why derailments occur. Equipment failure? Human causes? The Canadian disaster happened due to human tampering. Resources and skilled personnel to cope with human trauma, fire and/or hazmat spills, sometimes in concert, are sorely lacking and not readily deployable. Herrera Beutler’s proposal was simply that — an effort to protect the public, minimize damage to environment and human alike.

Much must also be answered as to why our elected leadership allows communities to build and reside so closely to such an obvious danger.