California legislator proposes crude-by-rail safety bill

Last week, California Assemblyman Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento) announced plans to introduce legislation aimed at protecting communities from potential rail accidents involving crude oil.

Currently, little information on crude-by-rail shipments is provided to local emergency personnel, keeping them from appropriately preparing response plans, Dickinson said in a press release. The proposed bill would provide local first responders more information about oil and oil products that might be shipped by rail through their jurisdictions; allow public reviews of proposed oil-spill contingency plans that will be prepared by railroads as required by the state's oil-spill prevention and response program; and require the program's administrator to offer grants to local governments to help develop local spill contingency plans and train response personnel.

Railroads plan to increase crude shipments throughout California, with many trains running through Sacramento and West Sacramento, said Dickinson. The California Energy Commission projects that by 2016, rail deliveries of crude could increase to as much as a quarter of the state’s total oil shipments, he said.

"With the increase in crude-by-rail shipments statewide and locally, more needs to be done to ensure that state and local emergency responders are provided with sufficient information to prepare for potential accidents and respond as rapidly as possible," said Dickinson. "This public safety legislation will help communities throughout the state be better prepared when dealing with the potential deadly threat of increased crude-by-rail shipments."

Dickinson expects the bill to be considered by the state Legislature in the coming months.