SUPPORT HB 2347 enhanced safety of oil transport

We urge you to contact your representatives in the Washington State House to: SUPPORT HB 2347

House Bill 2347 is intended to enhance the safety of the transportation of oil. SUPPORT:Even though tens of thousands of Washington residents showed up at public hearings last year to protest the trend, the number and length of trains carrying coal and oil across the state of Washington and thus through our towns and cities for shipment to Asia has been on a steady and rapid rise.Aside from the paramount threat to our climate and lives this upsurge in fossil fuel use represents, the shipment of oil by train through populated centers and by tanker through our sensitive waterways poses imminent dangers of explosion and oil spills. Although this bill does not address the climate issues oil trains raise, it does address some of those other safety issues by requiring tugboats to be present whenever tankers come to inland waters and by requiring a study of the state’s capacity to respond to oil train accidents by the Office of Financial Management—a study that has the potential to lead to limits placed upon the passing of oil trains through the heart of urban areas, as is now happening. HB 2347 was voted favorably out of the House Environment Committee on 2/4 and is now in the House Appropriations Committee; it needs to be brought to the full House for a vote.  Please contact your representatives in the Washington State House (see below for how to contact).  More information on HB 2347 is available at:  http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2013-14/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/House/2347%20HBA%20ENVI%2014.pdf. Thank you! FCWPP Local Responses to Global Challenges Working Group and FCWPP Legislative Committee Contacting your legislators: Legislators’ email addresses are in the form:  , so, for example, Rep. Frank Chopp is  .  Or you can leave a phone message for your legislators, using the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000.  To find the names of your current legislators, go to:   http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/  and enter your street address. ________________________________________________________________ In addition to your direct involvement in advocacy, FCWPP needs your financial support to continue its work. Credit card contributions may be made online at https://qvwa.org, by clicking on the “Donate” button near the top of the page on the right. Directions for making contributions by check is also on the website. Because FCWPP is a lobbying organization, contributions are not tax deductible.