Source: Houston Chronicle
Study: more to do as oil trains pose new risks
SEATTLE (AP) — A state study says the increase in crude oil shipments by rail is creating new risks and will require increased safety measures and improved oil spill response and prevention.
Even as more trains carry volatile shipments of crude oil into the state, nearly 60 percent of first responders say they don’t have sufficient training or resources to handle a train derailment accompanied by a fire.
The draft report delivered to state lawmakers on Monday makes a dozen key recommendations, including more training for first responders and more railroad inspectors. It also outlines the environmental and safety risks from oil transport.
The study says crude oil shipments went from zero in 2011 to 714 million gallons in 2013, and could reach nearly 3 billion gallons by the end of this year or in 2015.