WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Preventing Oil Spills

Preventing Oil Train Disasters

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), recently envisioned a scenario where an oil train derails and explodes in Jersey City, near New York City, creating a 300-foot fireball and killing 87 people. While this was just an exercise to prepare for a worst-case scenario, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Transportation said that this type of incident is a “real possibility and a very real concern.”

Quebec derailment

 In fact, in 2013 a train derailment in Quebec killed 47 people and demolished a city center, leaving a community devastated. (Photo courtesy of Sûreté du Québec, Wikipedia)

In the last few years, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of crude oil that is hauled around the country on trains. With that increase has come a corresponding increase in the number of oil spills from trains.

Since just mid-February of this year, there has been a rash of oil train derailments, including one in West Virginia which forced hundreds of families out of their homes, sparked massive fires and leaked oil into a nearby river. Another spill occurred in Illinois in March.

map of WA oil trains

Washington is certainly not immune from having an oil train disaster here. As you can see from this interactive map of oil train routes in Washington, trains carry oil across our state, through our densely populated urban areas and sensitive natural habitats. Each of these routes could potentially be the site of a tragic oil train derailment. Click on the map to see if you live next to an oil train route.

While FEMA is working at the federal level to prepare to respond to the increasing number of oil trains, we passed legislation this week out of the House to help our local communities and first responders prepare for the sharp uptick in oil-transporting trains.

The Oil Transportation Safety Act that passed the House this week addresses many of the potential shortfalls in our current preparedness and response efforts including:

  • Assuring that the Oil Spill Prevention Program is fully funded by requiring that the barrel tax, which is currently only paid for oil that comes in on ships, also be paid for oil that is carried by train and pipeline, and by raising the barrel tax from 4¢ to 8¢ per barrel.
  • Requiring advance notice for oil shipments so that if there is a derailment, our first-responders can arrive at the scene of the accident prepared for the specific challenges of a crude oil disaster.
  • Making sure that oil transporters carry enough insurance to be financially solvent in the case of a spill or accident.

When an oil spill does happen on land or at sea, the consequences can be devastating.  We must meet this level of hazard with the appropriate levels of safety and preparation.

The bill is now going back to the Senate where we are hopeful that they will put safety above partisanship and pass the bill to give Washington communities the transparency and resources they so desperately need to be prepared in the event that a train does derail.

Joe and Eileen signatures t