Cantwell and Murray introduce oil train safety bill

A new bill introduced by Washington’s U.S. senators aims to raise the safety standards of trains carrying crude oil across the country.

Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, both Democrats, introduced the Crude-By-Rail Safety Act of 2015, which would require the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to adopt new regulations for rail cars shipping crude oil. The bill also mandates that use of older-model tanker cars be halted immediately.

Regulations in the bill include new tank car design standards that include 9/16th inch shells, thermal protection, pressure relief valves and electronically-controlled pneumatic brakes; requiring railroads to disclose crude-by-rail movements to state emergency response commissions and local emergency planning committees along hazardous material rail routes; and comprehensive oil spill response plans for trains carrying oil, petroleum and other hazardous products.

The legislation comes after several derailments in February and March in West Virginia, Illinois and Ontario, Canada.

“Every new derailment increases the urgency with which we need to act,” Cantwell said in the release. “Communities in Washington state and across the nation see hundreds of these oil tank cars pass through each week. This legislation will help reduce the risk of explosion in accidents, take unsafe tank cars off the tracks, and ensure first responders have the equipment they need. We can’t afford to wait for ten accidents per year, as estimated by the Department of Transportation.”

The statement says the U.S. Department of Transportation estimates 10 derailments will happen every year for the next 20 years with the rise in rail shipments, and will cost $4 billion.