Spill Planning Lags as Tar Sands Moves Through NW Rails

Big Trainloads Of Tar Sands Crude Now Rolling Through NW

By Tony Schick    Feb 9, 2015  opb.org  

Trains carrying mass loads of heavy crude oil from Canada’s tar sands have begun moving through the Northwest, creating the potential for an oil spill in parts of Oregon and Washington where environmental agencies have no response plans or equipment in place.

Union Pacific now moves between seven and 10 of these mile-long trains of Canadian crude per month through Northwest states, according to railroad spokesman Aaron Hunt. They can carry more than a million gallons of oil.

The trains originate in Alberta, moving through Idaho to Washington. From there, some are bound for refining in Western Washington and others travel along the Columbia River into Portland and south into California.

The seven to 10 monthly trains represents a big  increase over Union Pacific trains that had  previously been hauling mixed freight that included oil tank cars. The mile-long “unit trains” began in late November, according to the railroad, but spill planners at Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality and Washington’s Department of Ecology didn’t learn of the new shipments until late January and early February, respectively.....    

....Officials in Oregon and Washington said they lack the resources and authority for adequate spill planning along rail corridors. Rail lines touch more than a hundred watersheds in Oregon and cross more than a thousand water bodies in Washington......    more here

Links:

Oil train foes rally -

Albany NY:  They seek tighter state scrutiny of safety and environmental risks

California Under Fire For Lack of Injection Well Protections-- In response to federal reviews that suggest that state regulators have allowed oil companies to contaminate protected aquifers, California oil/natural gas regulators have filed a plan with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to correct regulatory deficiencies.              

A Coastal Community In Washington Contemplates Oil Terminals: (this is a great piece on Grays Harbor)    h/t  Rebecca Ponzio

Groups File FOIA Request with US Dept. of Commerce for Crude Oil Export Ban Exceptions

 

Salish Sea Ship Traffic: the Impact of Coal and Oil Plans: