The NTSB’s Full 48-page Response.pdf

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) responded to a letter from Senators Wyden and Merkley regarding the crude-by-rail accident in Mosier, Oregon on June 3, 2016. The NTSB did not launch a full investigation due to limited resources, but is collecting and assessing information to determine if additional recommendations are warranted. The NTSB has been concerned about rail tank car safety and has issued 12 safety recommendations to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). A roundtable on July 13, 2016, will discuss the current state of flammable liquid tank car retrofits and replacements. The NTSB has 13 railroad investigators and 3 hazardous materials investigators, with 23 open investigations in the Railroad Division and 4 in the Hazardous Materials Division. The NTSB provided a list of accidents involving unit trains transporting crude oil, ethanol, or other Class 3 flammable liquids since 2010, including location, rail carrier, volume of product leaked, evacuation, estimated property damage, and whether an NTSB investigation was conducted.