On May 14, a third train derailment in 16 days occurred near Montesano, Washington.
That’s not a misprint. Three derailments, in the same area, in just 16 days.
Luckily, these trains were not carrying any hazardous materials that posed threats to the surrounding community. However, the transportation of hazardous materials (specifically crude oil) over the railways has seen an exponential rise over the last few years.
An estimated 434,000 tanker loads of crude oil were shipped by rail in the United States last year, compared to only 9,500 in 2008, according to the Association of American Railroads. Washington is becoming one of the top destinations for these oil shipments.
There has been a significant increase in rail accidents involving oil – Quebec, New Brunswick, Alabama, and recently in Pennsylvania. In fact, more oil spilled as a result of railroad accidents in 2013, than the past 40 years combined.
According to numbers from the Federal Railroad Administration, Washington state averaged nearly 40 train derailments per year between 1999 and 2013.
It was with these troubling trends in mind that the House passed the Oil Transportation Safety Act. Regrettably the measure was killed by the Republican-controlled Senate.
The bill was an attempt at transparency regarding oil shipments over Washington’s railways. State lawmakers can’t control what materials are shipped in and out of Washington (as that is a federal issue due to the interstate commerce clause). This bill would arm local officials and first responders with the information necessary to mitigate the impact in the event of an accident involving crude shipments.
The events of the last couple weeks near Montesano and Aberdeen may bring this issue under yet more scrutiny.