Over 250 community members gathered to call for an end to reckless oil trains on the one-year anniversary of the dangerous oil train disaster in Mosier, Oregon. Tribal leaders, elected officials, and community members gathered at the Mosier Community School to send a clear message of support for Mosier. Following the rally, attendees marched to the Columbia river to the site of the oil train derailment. See more photos here!
ABOUT MOSIER
On June 3, 2016, all eyes in the region turned to the tiny town of Mosier, Oregon, as firefighters battled for 14 hours to contain a dangerous oil fire from a derailed Union Pacific train carrying highly flammable Bakken crude oil. Students at the Mosier Community School and some residents were evacuated from danger, oil spread in a sheen on the Columbia River, and the community of Mosier lost sewer and water service for days due to contamination risk. Once the fire was out, tribal leaders, elected officials, and local community members gathered at the site to call for an end to oil train traffic through the Columbia River Gorge.
One year later, Mosier’s groundwater is still contaminated, and oil and railroad companies are seeking to expand oil and coal train traffic through the Columbia River Gorge, a National Scenic Area, despite opposition from Columbia River treaty tribes, the town of Mosier, and many larger cities along the potential route.
In the coming months, Washington Governor Inslee will make a final decision about whether to deny the Tesoro Savage oil train terminal in Vancouver, a project that would bring up to five loaded oil trains each day through the Columbia River Gorge. Mosier’s experience should be all the evidence that Governor Inslee needs to deny the oil train terminal, and we will gather to send a clear message of support for Mosier, cities like Vancouver, Spokane, and Portland, and tribal communities who are standing up to oil.
NEWS COVERAGE
- Read the Stand Up To Oil press statement here >> Stand Up To Oil Statement
- Read about the extent of the oil spill >> New Spilled Crude Oil Discovered At Mosier Train Crash
- Read about the risks of shipping crude oil >> Mosier Fire Chief Calls Shipping Bakken Crude Oil By Rail ‘Insane’
- Read Spokane’s stance on the threat and dangers of oil transportation >> Spokane City Council Resolution
“Now, therefore, be it resolved that the City of Spokane stands with and strongly supports the City of Mosier in its demand that no further oil be shipped by rail through Mosier until both the clean-up has concluded and Union Pacific ensures that the cause of the derailment is identified and corrected…”
STATE ACTION
- Read an opposition letter from the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters >> Letter to Governor Inslee
- Read Governor Inslee’s call for a moratorium on crude oil trains >> Read Governor Inslee’s Statement
OTHER ACTION
- Read testimony from transportation experts on their oil transportation concerns >> Read the Testimony
WHAT YOU CAN DO
ADD YOUR NAME – NO TO TESORO SAVAGE
Tell decision makers that oil trains are too dangerous and we should not build more oil terminals along our coastlines. The nation’s largest proposed oil terminal could be built in Vancouver, WA unless we step in to say no. Add your voice today!
“It’s unbelievable that they are sacrificing public safety to get this going” – Brett VandenHeuvel, Columbia Riverkeeper.
After watching the video, sign the petition!
PHOTOGRAPHS
Want to see more images? View these and others on the Columbia Riverkeeper facebook page.
