Washington regulation requires advance documentation of crude oil transport in state

Facilities receiving crude oil by rail in Washington are now required to notify the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) in advance, enabling emergency responders throughout the state to prepare for any potential incidents.
 
The new rule also calls for reports on volumes and place of origin from pipelines transporting crude oil through the state. This rule, developed with public input from four meetings and more than 1,000 comments, is the first of its kind for the state. It will go into effect on Oct. 1, and currently will apply to four facilities transporting crude oil by rail and two pipelines.
 
“In the wake of recent oil train disasters, Washington is moving quickly to improve public safety and protect our natural resources,” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said. “This rule will assure that our emergency responders get advanced notice before oil train shipments arrive in their communities.”
 
Through this new rule, Ecology will collect information on crude oil transport in the state and convey that to emergency responders, as well as to the public through quarterly disclosure reports. The first reports generated by the rule will be published in January 2017, providing detailed information about how crude oil is moved throughout the state.