SEATTLE — Gov. Jay Inslee says more needs to be done to prevent and respond to oil spills, as trains increasingly move volatile shipments of crude oil through Washington state.
The governor on Wednesday received initial findings from a state study looking into the safety and environmental risks of oil transport.
The draft report recommends making changes to allow more railroad inspectors and finding more money to bolster the state’s oil spill response and prevention program.
As many as 17 trains a week carry crude oil from the Bakken region of North Dakota through the state.
Inslee also called on the federal government to lower speed limits for oil trains and shorten the time allowed for older railcars to be updated.