Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement following Tesoro Corp’s announcement that it will replace its older crude railcars with modern-standard versions by the middle of this year.

“I welcome Tesoro’s decision to proactively upgrade its railcar fleet to meet modern safety standards, joining other companies that have made similar commitments,” Larsen said. “I will continue pressing for better rail safety at all the refineries through Northwest Washington.

“While it is good to see private operators taking action, the federal government needs to catch up by quickly issuing new standards for railcars carrying crude oil. We should not risk future accidents when there are steps we can take right now to make our communities safer.”

Larsen recently sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx calling for quick action, and discussed the issue with him at a White House meeting earlier this week. Larsen has also been holding meetings on the issue with other administration officials, private companies, labor groups and local government leaders in Northwest Washington.