A recent oil train derailment in the Columbia River Gorge near Mosier, Oregon on Friday caused some 10,000 gallons of crude oil to leak into a nearby water treatment plant. Four of the 14 derailed cars caught fire, sending plumes of black smoke into the air. No one was injured in the incident.
The incident rekindled long-held fears of the risks of transporting crude oil through one of the Pacific Northwest’s most iconic landscapes.
In January, the Office of Sustainability released a risk-assessment of oil-by-rail transport in Multnomah county in conjunction with the county Office of Emergency Management and using data provided by the county’s Health Department. Soon after it was released, the Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution opposing projects that will increase oil train traffic through Multnomah County and the Columbia River Gorge and opposing new oil terminal projects. Currently, up to 12 trains a week carry 1,000,000 gallons of crude oil through Multnomah County, posing serious potential risks to the lives and property of Multnomah County residents.
Read the full assessment to learn about the potential risks to the people and places within Multnomah County.
