Port of Vancouver calls for passage of crude-by-rail safety legislation

The Port of Vancouver USA on Tuesday adopted a resolution expressing support for the proposed Crude-By-Rail Safety Act of 2015.

The federal legislation would help crude oil move more safely from source to market, port officials said in a statement.

"It’s always been our top priority to ensure that commodities at the Port of Vancouver move safely in our community. Crude oil is no exception," said Port Commission President Nancy Baker in a statement.

The act, penned by U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), calls for new regulations on rail carriers shipping oil and increased funding for first responder training and emergency response.

As the domestic crude oil market grows, two Port of Vancouver tenants are proposing crude oil facilities on port property, port officials said. Tesoro Refining and Marketing Co., along with its partner Savage Services, have proposed an oil transfer facility known as Vancouver Energy, which could be the largest facility of its kind on the West Coast, they said.