COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — Local governments in northern Idaho are taking a close look at their emergency preparedness plans to see if they adequately address the growing number of oil trains rumbling through their communities.
The Spokesman-Review reports officials in the region will use a $36,000 federal grant to assess the risk and update emergency action plans.
On average, two to three loaded oil trains travel along the Kootenai River and pass through Bonners Ferry and Sandpoint every day. The trains cross Lake Pend Oreille before following U.S. Highway 95 west into Washington state.
Public buildings, fish hatcheries, water intakes and other community resources are dotted along the route, and the grant will help the rural communities identify what could be at risk if an oil train derails or spills cargo.
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