EVERETT — With rail shipments of oil through Western Washington on the rise, conversations continue about the ability of communities to protect residents in the event of a spill.
On Tuesday, civic, public safety and railroad officials sat down with U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., at the Snohomish County Emergency Operations Center to size up the situation from Snohomish County to the Canadian border. They concluded there’s work to be done.
To prepare for an emergency, fire departments need additional training and better communication with Burlington Northern Santa Fe about what’s in the shipments, DelBene was told.
And safer tank cars and elimination of at-grade road crossings will reduce the consequences should a trainload of oil go off the tracks, they said.
Those are some of the issues “we’re grappling with,” Snohomish County Councilman Dave Somers told the first-term congresswoman and a representative of U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen.
“Accidents do happen, so we do need to be ready,” Somers said.
Attendees included BNSF representative Terry Finn, Snohomish Mayor Karen Guzak, Snohomish County Sheriff Ty Trenary, Mount Vernon Mayor Jill Boudreau, Robin Everett of the Sierra Club and Eric dePlace, policy director for the Sightline Institute of Seattle.
DelBene deliberately assembled a group with often disparate views on readiness.
“It is important that all of us understand what can be done to be sure our communities are safe,” she said.
Larsen held similar confabs in Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties earlier this year. His district director, Jill McKinnie, attended Tuesday’s meeting, after which the congressman issued a statement.
“The accidents involving trains carrying crude oil last year were a wake-up call that Congress needed to move quickly to make these trains safer,” Larsen said. “Crude-by-rail traffic through the Pacific Northwest has increased exponentially in the last couple of years, which makes better safety measures all the more imperative.”
Last month, a forum for leaders of Snohomish County and its cities was held in Everett.
It was there that Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling described a surge in coal and oil trains through Snohomish County as a “coming crisis” that threatens to damage quality of life unless addressed.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe reports that each week an average of 10 trains travel through Snohomish County with shipments of at least 1 million gallons of Bakken crude.
And a recent report produced for the Puget Sound Regional Council predicts that up to 18 new trains per day can be expected if a proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point opens. That report also showed that wait times at crossings will increase.
Even without the coal terminal, rail traffic is expected to increase in the next 20 years. The report projects other types of freight will require up to 10 more trains a day between Everett and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Opponents of coal and oil trains focused Tuesday on the threat of derailments to cause scores of injuries and widespread property damage.
“My members’ concern is that they’re toast if a train explodes,” said Robin Everett of the Sierra Club. “My members want to see a moratorium on dangerous oil shipments until these things are worked out.”
She expressed concern that allowing increasing numbers of rail shipments will make Washington a fossil-fuel corridor at a time when the Pacific Northwest should be relying on alternative sources of energy.
“It doesn’t fit with why people come here to live,” she said.
Trenary said his office and the railroad company need to “develop better communication,” and there needs to be more joint training.
In contrast, Mount Vernon Fire Chief Roy Hari praised BNSF’s assistance with training members of his department.
That city might be an exception to the rule.
In June, the state Emergency Management Division surveyed fire departments and emergency managers throughout Washington on their resources and abilities to deal with a rail incident involving oil, coal or other hazardous materials.
Twenty-six jurisdictions responded, and of those 62 percent said their departments are not sufficiently trained or do not have the resources necessary to respond to a train derailment that triggers a fire.
Meanwhile Tuesday, Republican Pedro Celis, who is opposing DelBene in the November election, sought to make a campaign issue out of the meeting.
He said that if DelBene is concerned about public safety in Washington, she should not oppose the proposed Keystone oil pipeline between Texas and Canada. Transporting oil and natural gas by pipeline is safer than rail, reduces carbon emissions and is more cost effective, he said.
“She does not seem to be working to move it forward,” he said. While safety is an issue, “it is important that you don’t turn that into an excuse so there is no progress,” he said.
Celis said he supports construction of the Gateway Pacific Terminal and requiring companies that ship goods by rail to pay part of the cost of replacing at-grade crossings with bridges.
Celis’ comments drew a sharp retort from a spokesman for DelBene, who noted that the congresswoman has not taken a position on either the terminal or the pipeline project.
“Mr. Celis just doesn’t understand the economies of Washington and the 1st (Congressional) District are uniquely dependent on rail,” campaign spokesman Viet Shelton said.
“Whether or not an oil pipeline across the country is permitted doesn’t help deal with the public safety issues communities are dealing with today,” he said. “That’s what the congresswoman was talking about today.”
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
