With rail traffic continuing to increase in the Northwest, Gov. Jay Inslee directed Washington state on Thursday to begin developing an oil train spill response plan.
Inslee announced the directive in a meeting with The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver.
The directive asks state agencies to identify risk areas along rail lines, and look for gaps in state regulations. It also requires the agencies to find the costs of spill cleanup.
Inslee said he’ll ask legislators to dedicate money in the next budget cycle toward oil train safety.
Washington state and tribal agencies have until Oct. 1 to respond to Inslee’s request.
