Jim Harvey, who lives near the spot where the oil cars derailed, told KOIN 6 News he’s not certain Union Pacific should be moving freight trains while the investigation and the oil unloading continues.
Advertisement
“Union Pacific should not resume oil train traffic before meeting with the community of Mosier and giving a thorough explanation for the cause of this accident”, the statement reads.
Union Pacific has started running trains on a rebuilt track next to the crude oil cars that derailed and caught fire in Mosier, Oregon last Friday.
“I understand how they feel and I just want them to know that we’re doing everything that we can to correct the situation and to make sure that we operate in the safest manor”, she said.
“Down the road, there will be “maintenance windows” on the track that are scheduled so crews don’t have to worry about working side by side as trains come through”, Russ said.
“This is all about money”.
The derailment occurred on a stretch of track that passes within 300 feet of the edge of the K-8 campus in this town 70 miles east of Portland.
Meanwhile Union Pacific has resumed train service through Mosier.
Thirteen tank cars remain at the site.
Friday’s incident was reportedly caused by some kind of track failure, Espinoza said.
Several top OR leaders are calling for a temporary halt to oil train traffic in the Columbia River Gorge after Friday’s fiery train wreck.
A new accident involving oil hauled by rail in OR is fueling calls for a moratorium on the shipping method in the Pacific Northwest.
No injuries have been reported.
As for Mosier, all evacuees have been allowed to return home, but their ordeal is far from over. Around mid-morning, officials turned their efforts to newly discovered oil in a pipe leading from Mosier’s water treatment plant to the Columbia River.
About 35 percent of oil produced in the Bakken region traveled by rail in March, or about 400,000 barrels per day, according to the North Dakota Pipeline Authority. “I will lead the charge in the Legislature to stop unit trains of Bakken oil”. “I can’t see how any reasonable person can look at this explosion and invite more trains”.
In a letter to the U.S. Transportation Department and the Federal Railroad Administration, DiNapoli wrote, “The department has estimated there may be 10 oil train accidents of “higher consequence” within the next 20 years at costs exceeding $1.15 billion in each case and possibly more than $5.75 billion in a single incident”.
Advertisement
Eric de Place, policy director with Sightline Institute, a progressive think tank, said states and cities can deny projects in other ways, such as through zoning or permit restrictions.
