ALBANY, Ore. — The Oregon House of Representatives has passed a bill to increase the state’s readiness for oil-train derailments, years after neighboring states passed similar legislation, the Oregonian reports.
The bill allows the state to charge up to $20 on each oil tank car entering or loaded in the state, plus a small fee on railroads’ gross operating revenues in the state. The fees, expected to raise about $500,000 per year, would go into effect Jan. 1, 2020. The money will fund work by the state fire marshal’s office and Department of Environmental Quality. It also requires railroads to show they have insurance sufficient to pay for oil-spill cleanup.
The state Senate must still act on the legislation.
