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Proposed new law to fine oil, coal trains through downtown Spokane would target shippers
TUESDAY, OCT. 4, 2016, 7:30 P.M.
Proposed new law to fine oil, coal trains through downtown Spokane would target shippers, not railroads
By Kip Hill
kiph@spokesman.com
(509) 459-5429
A proposal to fine companies transporting coal and crude oil by rail through downtown Spokane is back on the table, this time targeting the shippers instead of the railroads.
Spokane City Councilman Breean Beggs crafted the proposed law after failing to get a commitment from the region’s major railroads to support local efforts at setting safety standards for freight trains. Beggs hopes to pressure the federal government to adopt more stringent safety standards for oil and coal shipments.
Representatives for BNSF and Union Pacific said this week the new ordinance still seeks to wrest regulatory control from Congress and would not withstand a legal challenge.
“This is pre-empted by federal law,” said Courtney Wallace, a spokeswoman for BNSF. “It’s still regulating railroad traffic.”
Proposed new law to fine oil, coal trains through downtown Spokane would target shippers, not railroads
By Kip Hill
kiph@spokesman.com
(509) 459-5429
A proposal to fine companies transporting coal and crude oil by rail through downtown Spokane is back on the table, this time targeting the shippers instead of the railroads.
Spokane City Councilman Breean Beggs crafted the proposed law after failing to get a commitment from the region’s major railroads to support local efforts at setting safety standards for freight trains. Beggs hopes to pressure the federal government to adopt more stringent safety standards for oil and coal shipments.
Representatives for BNSF and Union Pacific said this week the new ordinance still seeks to wrest regulatory control from Congress and would not withstand a legal challenge.
“This is pre-empted by federal law,” said Courtney Wallace, a spokeswoman for BNSF. “It’s still regulating railroad traffic.”
Not gonna happen. The BNSF spokesperson is right. The Federal Railroad Administration calls the shots.
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