Washington state approves first railroad oil spill response plan

Written by Kyra Senese, Managing Editor
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Washington State Department of Ecology

The Washington Department of Ecology has approved the state's first oil spill response plan for BNSF Railway Company (BNSF), the largest freight railroad company in the state.  

 

The state notes this is “a big step forward” in its oil spill preparedness efforts.

“BNSF owns 1,332 miles of track in the state and delivers oil to refineries at Cherry Point and Ferndale, truck racks in Seattle and Spokane and terminals in Anacortes and Pasco,” officials said. “With the approved plan, BNSF meets Ecology’s more protective requirements.”

Dale Jensen, Washington Department of Ecology spills prevention program manager, said the plan is a major step forward for the protection of Washington’s communities and environment.

“Oil by rail has expanded significantly in recent years, and it’s imperative railroad companies are prepared to work with the state to respond to a spill in a rapid, aggressive, and well-coordinated manner,” Jensen said.

Railroad companies transported about 2 billion gallons of crude oil through Washington state in 2017, travelling through communities, along major highways, the Columbia River and Puget Sound, officials said. About 25 percent of all crude oil moving through the state was transported by railroads, the Department of Ecology said.

In accordance with the 2015 Oil Transportation Safety Act, the state’s Department of Ecology mandates that rail lines to have contingency plans guaranteeing they can respond to a spill quickly and effectively. This is the same requirement the state has for vessels, pipelines and oil facilities, the department notes.

“Washington joins California as the only two West Coast states to require oil spill contingency plans for railroad operators,” the Washington Department of Ecology said. “Railroads in most states follow federal regulations that emphasize safety, but do not include requirements for oil spill response readiness.”

The plan also includes:

  • Clarification regarding how notifications are made to ensure a joint response to a spill
  • Requirements that spill response equipment, a team and resources be pre-positioned statewide
  • Requirements that teams are ready to respond to oiled wildlife and community air monitoring
  • Requirements that ongoing annual training for local and tribal first responders is held
  • Requirements that oil spill drills are created and practiced

 

The amount of crude oil trains in Washington increased significantly in 2012, officials said, explaining that the Oil Transportation Safety Act recognized new risks in Washington from the rising amount of oil traveling by rail.

The department said it is currently working with eight railroad companies that transport oil in Washington to form oil spill contingency plans. Three of them, including BNSF, transport unrefined crude oil.

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