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BNSF Railway and Washington State-based oil refineries have inked a Mutual Aid Agreement to respond to accidents. The agreement between BNSF and the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), which includes Phillips 66, BP Cherry Point, Shell Oil Products US, Tesoro Companies, and U.S. Oil Refining Company, covers both rail accidents and refinery accidents.
“We are extremely pleased to enter into this agreement to further advance rail safety. Working hand-in-hand with community first responders and emergency managers has long been ingrained in the BNSF culture,” said John Lovenburg, BNSF’s vice president, Environmental. “This agreement is an extension of our long-standing practice to provide aid to communities no matter if an incident involves rail or not. Nothing is more important than safely operating through the communities we serve and we are absolutely committed to ensuring local first responders have access to training, information and access to BNSF’s safety experts and response equipment.”
Pressure Builds for Safer Oil Trains
Growing pressure over railroad oil train accidents has BNSF taking a number of measures to increase safety. The measures include lower speeds in high-population density areas, new tank car safety standards that include increasing the thickness of tank car walls, and increased training for emergency responders along BNSF routes.
© 2015 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.