SJM 8015 -
By Committee on Environment
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."
EFFECT: Adds references to crude oil in addition to other potentially hazardous liquids and gases being transported by rail tank cars. Addresses the memorial to two agencies within the U.S. Department of Transportation in addition to Congress, and requests that the agencies act upon recommendations by the National Transportation Safety Board to adopt rules to improve the response preparedness, planning, and safety of hazardous material rail transportation.