Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for releasing final safety rules today about crude oil trains, and stressed there is more work to do to make sure communities are as safe as possible.

“I have been pushing the administration for the last 18 months to put out strong rules governing the safe transport of crude oil by rail. Today is an important milestone to hold shippers and railroads accountable and ensure the highest level of safety for our communities.

“I will be looking closely at the rules in the coming days to make sure they adequately address key safety issues, such as tank car design and train speed. Now the work begins to translate rules on paper into safety on the rails.

“I know there is more work to do to make sure first responders are well trained, community leaders know what is traveling through their communities on railways, and tracks are inspected on a regular basis. I plan to introduce legislation to increase funding available for at-grade rail crossings, a step leaders in Northwest Washington have told me would help the safety of our communities,” Larsen said.

Larsen recently took a position on the Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, which better positions him to make progress on rail safety for Northwest Washington. He has met with local, state and federal officials, industry experts, first responders and community members to hear their concerns and discuss solutions.  

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