Proposed Bill Would Lower Train Speed Through Cities

A bill proposed Wednesday would give Spokane officials the power to make trains slow down through the city.

According to the Spokesman-Review, SB 5098, sponsored by Sen. Andy Billig, D-Spokane, would give major cities and the state Utilities and Transportation Commission the authority to set lower speed limits than the federal government allows in certain cases.

Under federal law, trains can travel as fast as 50 mph through cities, but lower limits can be set for what is referred to as “unique local safety hazards,” according to Billig, who also said trains with flammable materials traveling through commercial and residential areas at 50 mph is a unique hazard and “a recipe for disaster.”

The next step would be for the bill to be scheduled for a hearing by the Transportation or the Energy committee.

Council Votes to Remove Oil/Coal Train Fines From Ballot

Spokane's City Council did an about-face last night and withdrew a measure from the November ballot that would have let voters decide whether to fine railroad operators up to $261 per train car carrying flammable crude or coal through downtown Spokane.

According to the Spokesman-Review, the City Council voted 5-2 to against the measure. Council President Ben Stuckart, who initially led the charge to fine the railroads, now says he believes the fine would expose citizens to too much legal liability.

“I don’t believe that it’s legally defensible, or defensible for us to bring forward,” Stuckart is quoted as saying in the Spokesman.

The two votes to keep the issue on the ballot came from Councilman Breean Beggs and Lori Kinnear.
Beggs said he believed the ordinance could have withstood a legal challenge. 

City Council Asks Voters to Determine if Coal and Oil Trains Should Be Banned

A coal train travels through downtown Spokane. Photo
courtesy Spokesman-Review archives.

Spokane's City Council last night voted 6-0 to ask voters if they want to fine railroads for running
coal and oil trains through the city.

According to the Spokesman-Review, the November ballot initiative would impose a $261 fine for each rail car of crude oil and uncovered coal that passes through downtown.

Opponents say passing the ordinance would snarl the city in unnecessary lawsuits but supporters believe it will protect the aquifer from coal dust or oil that could seep into the water supply in the event of a spill.

Is this move even legal? The Spokesman-Review reports that the Federal Railway Safety Act, first passed by Congress in 1970, permits local governments to adopt rules to “eliminate or reduce an essentially local safety or security hazard” if the Department of Transportation has not taken action.

City Councilmember Breean Beggs, also an attorney, said Spokane’s unique aquifer would likely withstand a legal challenge as an “essentially local” hazard, though the courts have struck down local regulations pertaining to rivers because they are more prevalent near railroad tracks than aquifers.

Hazardous Materials Consultant Says Oil Train Derailment Could Be Extremely Challenging

Photo courtesy the Spokesman-Review

Two to three oil trains a day travel through the area on over a mile of elevated train tracks that run right through downtown Spokane. An article in today's Spokesman-Review says the proximity of the tracks to Spokane’s most densely populated area makes downtown particularly vulnerable in the event of an oil train derailment.

A hazardous materials and emergency planning consultant for the city of Spokane testified last week before the state’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, which is reviewing a proposed oil terminal in Vancouver, Washington. If built, the terminal could mean up to four additional oil trains daily through Spokane.

The Spokane Fire Department and mutual aid crews might be able to control a derailment in sparsely populated areas of the city but a downtown derailment would pose “extreme challenges. There is a lot more to this story at the link above.

Spokane City Council Asks UP to Halt Train Traffic Through Town Where Derailment Happened

An oil train burns near the town of Mosier last week.

Spokane's City Council is asking Union Pacific to halt train shipments of oil through the Columbia River town of Mosier, Oregon, until the oil tankers from Friday’s derailment are removed from the accident site.

According to the Spokesman-Review, the council voted 5-1 last night to make the nonbinding request, with councilman Mike Fagan voting against the resolution.

Last weekend, a train derailed, catching fire and forcing residents of the Columbia River Gorge town to evacuate. Just three days later, UP's trains were moving through the town again, even before the derailment mess was cleaned up. The town’s mayor and fire chief expressed concerns about running trains before an investigation was complete and the damaged tankers cleared.

The Spokane City Council’s resolution backs the city of Mosier’s request for a temporary halt in rail traffic until hazardous debris has been removed and the site has been inspected and declared safe. 

Longview Port Votes Against Refinery and Propane Terminal

Port of Longview commissioners voted unanimously this week to reject plans to build a refinery and propane terminal at the port. KUOW.org reports that the $1.25 billion facility from Waterside Energy out of Texas would have been the first refinery built on the west coast in 25 years.

The facility would have provided 700 construction jobs and 180 full-time jobs refining 30,000 barrels of oil and 15,000 barrels of biofuel each day. Another aspect of the project was a propane and butane terminal handling 75,000 barrels per day.

The refinery would have added an additional three trains per week carrying crude oil to railroad tracks along the Columbia River.

Many people were interested in the project originally because of the clean fuel component of including biofuel but in the end had financial doubts about Waterside Energy. Port commissioners said the company also missed deadlines and failed to fulfill its obligation to the port of providing certain financial information within 30 days. Port staff said those disclosures were intended to determine whether Waterside Energy had the financial backing to complete the project.

DOE Hosting Workshops on Oil Train Shipments

If you are interested in shaping laws related to oil shipments through Washington State, the Department of Ecology is holding a couple workshops for the public at its' Spokane office.

The Spokesman-Review reports that the first workshop will focus on contingency planning for oil-by-rail shipments. It is from 8:30-11:30 a.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, January 27.

The second workshop, also tomorrow from 1:30-4:30 p.m., will address notification requirements of oil shipments by rail and pipeline, including how much information to release to the public.

The Department of Ecology’s Spokane office is at 4601 North Monroe Street.You can find more information at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/rules/1513ov.html.

Proposed Oil Terminal Brings Many Out for Hearing

A hearing on a crude oil terminal in Vancouver, Washington brought out over 100 people to a hearing in Spokane Valley last night, many of whom oppose it.

The Spokesman-Review reports that opponents who signed up to speak at the hearing, held by Washington's Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, said such a facility would  put Spokane and other communities at risk from increased oil train traffic, without offering any local economic benefits.

Four additional trains carrying oil would travel through the area per day if the terminal is built.

Sandpoint and Missoula residents also spoke out, saying the extra trains puts their cities at higher risk for derailment and spills too. Longer wait times at rail road crossings was also a concern for many.
However, the project received support from local carpenters and boilermakers who said an oil-consuming nation like the U.S. requires a reliable supply of oil. A representative of one are carpenters union said oil trains are safer than using a pipeline and more efficient than trucking it in.

A BNSF spokesman said that oil trains travel at lower speeds through populated areas, about 20 to 35 miles per hour in our area,

Oil Transportation Safety Act passes Washington State House

The Oil Transportation Safety Act passed the state House this week. Senate Bill 5057 requires oil transporters to give advance notices to local emergency responders so they can better prepare for the possibility of oil spills, tanker derailment, or fire.

To fund the increased regulations, a 1.5% fee will be imposed on railroad revenue from intrastate operations.

Not everyone is happy about the bill and the fee though, including farmers. The Columbia Basin Herald explains why.

Spokane Asks To Be Involved In Talks About Proposed Vancouver Oil Terminal

A proposal to open a terminal in Vancouver, WA to handle oil shipped rail is getting attention by local officials.

The City of Spokane is filing a petition for intervention, effectively requesting a "seat at the table" in talks regarding the proposed 32-acre terminal in Washougal. Spokane officials are interested in the project because trains headed to the terminal carrying oil would pass through our City. Emergencies such as derailments or fires could be serious threats to the area. Others are worried about environmental issues as a result.

The Spokesman-Review has more on the proposed terminal and how lawmakers in our area are getting involved.

Report Paints Scary Picture of Predicted Fuel Train Derailments

If you were already worried about the potential for accidents involving trains hauling fuel, a new report isn't going to make you feel any better. The federal government predicts trains hauling crude oil or ethanol will derail an average of 10 times a year over the next two decades. If that's not bad enough, the analysis by the Department of Transportation (DOT) says these derailments will cause more than $4 billion in damage and possibly kill hundreds of people if they take place in densely populated areas.

Want more? The Spokesman-Review breaks down the numbers even more. And just so you know- the highest amount of derailments is predicted to happen this year. 

Derailed Train Continues to Block Traffic

A train derailment yesterday is still blocking traffic today, and could be until tomorrow. the grain train jumped the tracks yesterday at Cheney-Spokane Road on the northeast side of Cheney.

Meanwhile, the incident is drawing attention to another risk involving trains, the chances of this happening more often, and more catastrophically, with the increase in trains, especially oil trains, on tracks through the area.

The Spokesman-Review has the story, and the detour to take to get around the derailment.

Local Officials Say An Oil Train Wreck Would Be A Major "Challenge" To Deal With Here

Yesterday I brought you the news that there could be even more oil trains moving through our area in coming years (see post below), now today local emergency responders are saying that if an oil train exploded, they would be "challenged" to deal with such an event, to say the least.

Local officials testified last night at a hearing on the growth in oil shipments by rail. The risk of a wreck and explosion, such the one that killed 47 people in Quebec last year, or evacuated the town of Casselton, North Dakota, figured prominently in the speakers’ remarks. And fire officials say firefighters need more training and equipment, and exercises to help local emergency officials prepare a coordinated response.

Those officials also asked the BNSF Railway to take some steps to take our community safe.
The Spokesman-Review has the story.

Oil Trains Across WA Could Triple By 2020

Irritated by all the trains that are slowing you down lately at railroad crossings? Well things could get even worse in the future. 

There are nearly 3 billion gallons of crude oil moving through Washington this year. That could triple in five years, according to Walla Walla's Union Bulletin.

Here's the article.

Feds Propose Rules for Oil Train Tank Cars

There have been MANY concerns voiced recently about the increased number of trainloads of crude oil
being shipped across the country, especially after several of the trains crashed and caught fire. In response, the government proposed rules yesterday that would phase out tens of thousands of older tank cars.

There are still a lot of details to be worked out though, as this article in today's Spokesman-Review tells us.

BNSF Releases Information On Oil Trains Moving Through WA State

BNSF Railway says it's moving less oil trains through Washington state than in past months. BNSF previously reported as many as 19 trains of Bakken crude oil trains came through the area in a week. That number dropped to 13 for June.

The railroad had tried to keep information about oil train shipments from the public, but the state declined to sign a confidentiality agreement and BNSF provided it under public records law.

The Spokesman-Review has more.

Oil Train Safety Subject Of Meeting

Area residents got to share their thoughts and opinions yesterday with state lawmakers working on a bill that would regulate an expected boom in trains carrying crude oil across the state.

The focus of the session at Spokane City Hall was legislation co-sponsored by state Sen. Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane, that would require companies to disclose the amount and type of crude oil they’re shipping.

The Spokesman-Review was there and has reaction to the meeting.

BNSF Replacing Tracks To Increase Rail Capacity

BNSF Railway is putting some major money into track improvements in our area to increase rail capacity and improve track condition. The railroad plans to spend $235 million to refurbish 1,200 miles of track and hire about forty people in the area.

The Spokesman-Review has the details in it's "Getting There" column.

New Oil, Coal Train Info Will Probably Raise Additional Concerns

As more information becomes available, more concerns are surfacing concerning oil and coal trains.
A report released last week estimates that shipping the fuels by rail could bring 82 trains a day through Spokane and Sandpoint in ten years.

At the same time, new data was released that says Federal Railroad Administration inspectors have found 13,141 rail track defects in North Dakota since 2006. BNSF Railway was issued 721 written violation notices based on those defects.

The Spokesman-Review has the details on both reports in the "Getting There" column.

Freight & Oil Shipments Reportedly Causing Amtrak Delays

According to KXLY News, shipments of freight and oil are bumping Amtrak's use of rail lines, causing the trains to detour.
Amtrak uses BNSF Railway Co. lines and says "severe freight train interference" is causing long delays along the Chicago-to-Pacific Northwest Empire Builder route.

In North Dakota, Amtrak trains are reportedly being forced to bypass Grand Forks, Devils Lake and Rugby, areas of heavy oil activity. Passengers in those cities are being bused to either Minot or Fargo to cath west-and-eastbound trains.

For it's part, BNSF says it's investing records amounts of money to expand capacity to help alleviate the problem.