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.
Washington regulation requires advance documentation of crude oil transport in state
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