Gov.'s Veto Of Oil Train Safety Bill Is 'Reckless And Dangerous'

TEANECK, NJ — Governor Christie's veto of a bill that sought to require train operators carrying Bakken crude oil to have cleanup and emergency contingency plans in place is "reckless" and "dangerous," the NJ Sierra Club said.

Members of the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations and nonprofits rallied in town Wednesday in response to Christie's veto.

Sierra Club Director Jeff Tittel said that Bakken train derailments have led to train cars setting on fire, homes being destroyed and the evacuation of entire towns.

"This bill was a compromise that everyone worked on and was an important step in the right direction to deal with these dangerous bomb trains," Tittel said. "Instead of supporting this work, the governor gutted the bill."

The bill would have required train operators to submit a clean up, response and contingency plan to the state Department of Environmental Protection. Plans would need to be renewed five years. Operators would also have been required to file their plan with the state Office of Emergency Management.

Operators would also need to release on their website the routes trains transporting such cargo would travel, how much cargo would be transported and update the information monthly.

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