Blog post by Dan Serres, Riverkeeper’s Conservation Director—
April 30, 2014. I received an invitation on Friday, April 25, 2014, to join the Policymaker Briefing on Rail Safety on Tuesday morning, April 29, 2014, organized by the Governor's office. After attending with several other community members, I remain intensely concerned that Columbia River communities face extravagant risks from the shipment of Bakken crude oil through the Columbia Gorge, Vancouver, Portland, and Columbia County. The most inspiring part of the event was seeing over 60 awesome activists welcoming elected officials, state agency representatives, and other invitees along Highway 30. Our signs, positive energy, and intense concern set the right tone for the event.
Several state officials indicated that they felt "very comfortable" with the level of emergency response capability near proposed and existing oil train routes. When pressed, they agreed that there were key areas where state and local officials could use more help, including: more fire-suppressant foam, more training, and more marine spill response capability.
Realistically, even if the emergency responders' needs were met, communities along the Columbia River would sill face severe danger from each passing oil train. Simply put, there is no safe way to ship Bakken oil by rail along the Columbia River, through neighborhoods, near schools, and in the midst of critical salmon habitat. The participants in the briefing could not sidestep the harsh reality of major Bakken oil explosions in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Pickens County, Alabama, or Casselton, North Dakota - explosions that caused large evacuations, environmental damage, and (in Quebec) the loss of human life.
In short, I left the briefing with the knowledge that local agencies could not effectively protect the Columbia River or local communities in the event of a large oil spill, fire, or explosion. I also left with the hope that a growing movement of Northwest residents will resiliently and persistently object to increased oil-by-rail shipments through the Pacific Northwest.
News coverage from the rally and briefing:
OPB EarthFix: Oregon Leaders Question Oil Train Safety Officials At Briefing
KOIN 6: Increased train traffic raises concerns
KIRO 7: Washington state has no comprehensive plan if oil trains crash
South County Spotlight: Oil-by-rail informational event draws officials, skeptics to Linnton
Longview Daily News: Oregon prepared for oil spills, first responders say
