WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

The Seattle Times: Put oil transport safety legislation back on track

Lance Dickie – Times Editorial Columnist

Local communities want information about rail shipments of oil so they can revise local public safety plans. Deadlines loom, and the Senate stalls.

Hard to imagine the state Legislature will not act to protect Washington residents from the known hazards of increased oil shipments by rail.

The state House of Representatives passed HB 2347 to help get basic information to public-safety agencies so they can prepare for the worst. As deadlines loom in Olympia, the Senate Energy, Environment and Telecommunications Committee seems oblivious.

In a time when communities are literally being blown apart, the risks are not only painfully apparent, they are also being acknowledged by those with vested interests. Yes, things are that bad.

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