Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Wider is better ... Hands needed to help Food Bank with bi-monthly drive ... Ashland High grad, professor, author and musician plays here Friday ... Our View: Wider is better ... Hands needed to help Food Bank with bi-monthly drive ... Ashland High grad, professor, author and musician plays here Friday ... OUR VIEW Our View: Rail car roulette Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted May. 5, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted May. 5, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News New rules for shipping highly flammable crude oil by rail through Oregon are too lenient and allow too much secrecy. Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley have introduced legislation to increase pressure on shippers to upgrade the tank cars they use, but meanwhile, the state is at risk of a major accident. Trains carrying crude oil from the Bakken shale formation in North Dakota roll through the Columbia Gorge at the rate of 18 trains a week. Less frequently, oil trains also run down the Interstate 5 corridor through Eugene and then through Klamath Falls and along Highway 97 east of the Cascades on their way to California refineries. Bakken crude contains high levels of propane gas, which collects at the top of tank cars in transit and can explode violently if a tank is punctured in a crash. Friday's announced agreement between Canadian and U.S. rail authorities calls for phasing out older, thin-walled tank cars and replacing them with shielded cars, but the transition will take years. Technology exists to remove the propane before the oil is shipped, but the agreement does not require it. The agreement also does not require shippers to share schedules with first responders along the routes, only to provide a phone number for someone who will discuss shipments with local agencies. Wyden and Merkley have called for greater disclosure and faster tank car upgrades, and they should push hard for both. The safety of Oregonians along oil train routes hangs in the balance.     DailyTidings.com Writer Posted May. 5, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501