Beginning on page 1, line 4, after "ASSEMBLED," strike all material through "Transportation." on page 2, line 15 and insert "THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, AND THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION:
     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
     WHEREAS, The number of freight trains carrying crude oil and other potentially hazardous liquids and gases through Washington has increased and will continue to increase; and
     WHEREAS, The type of crude oil being transported through Washington by rail tank freight trains may be particularly flammable and dangerous as compared to other types of crude oil; and
     WHEREAS, Accidents involving rail tanks carrying crude oil and other potentially hazardous liquids and gases pose significant risks to communities, families, and businesses located near rail lines, as well as overall public health; and
     WHEREAS, The safety and preservation of Washington communities and natural areas is crucial to the economic stability and health of the State of Washington; and
     WHEREAS, Tanks carrying crude oil and other potentially hazardous liquids and gases by rail should meet the highest safety standards and utilize the best technology to minimize the impact of accidents; and
     WHEREAS, The routing of tank car trains carrying crude oil and other potentially hazardous liquids and gases should minimize the potential risks of an accident in a populated or sensitive area, and response planning by rail carriers should be sufficient to comprehensively address worst-case accident scenarios;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the Congress of the United States of America or the United States Department of Transportation toughen existing standards for new tank rail cars and require that the approximately ninety-two thousand existing tank rail cars used to transport crude oil and other flammable liquids, including potentially hazardous liquids and gases, be retrofitted with advanced safety enhancing technologies or, if not upgraded, phased out of service, and that the United States Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and Federal Railroad Administration act on the recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board to update their regulations to improve hazardous material route planning and require rerouting to avoid transporting hazardous materials through populated and sensitive areas, to ensure rail carriers have comprehensive response plans for worst-case oil spill accidents, to develop an audit program for rail carriers of oil to ensure adequate oil spill response, removal, and mitigation provisions are in place, to require better testing of the characteristics of hazardous material to ensure appropriate classification, and to audit crude oil shippers to ensure that appropriate hazardous material classifications are used.
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of the United States, the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation, the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, the Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington."