Big Oil, railroads keeping first responders in dark on volatile cargoes

A huge increase in railroad shipments of crude oil – “moving pipelines,” as one federal official calls them – has safety agencies and first responders worried that oil companies and railroads are not forthcoming with needed information as volatile cargoes move through population centers. Virtually no oil moved across Washington by rail three years ago, but 17 million barrels crossed the Evergreen State last year, much of it bound for the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes and the BP refinery at Cherry Point. The traffic will soar to an estimated 55 million barrels this year. “Can you talk about what the City of Seattle is doing to prepare for that increase […] read more