The Oregon Department of Transportation has asked the federal government to put a moratorium on oil trains in the Columbia Gorge and certain other parts of the state over concerns about inadequate inspections.
The request follows the oil train derailment in Mosier June 3, which sparked a fire, forced the evacuation of 100 people and spilled oil into the ground and the city’s sewer system.
Union Pacific officials have concluded that the metal fastener system that connects the railroad tie to the rail failed, causing the railway to break apart and derailing 16 oil tanker cars. The federal railroad administration is conducting its own investigation into the cause.
Inspections and tests by the state and Union Pacific in the days leading up to the derailment failed to reveal the defects.
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