2016 Union Pacific oil train fire

US oil train derailment and fire August 2025 Mosier Oregon oil car derailment Mosier_Oregon_2016_oil_tank_car_burning_01.jpg Rail cars burning 45.6847006 N 121.4034557 W type:event inline,title June 3, 2016 12:00 PST (19:00 GMT) Mosier, Oregon United States Derailment 1 15 tank cars derailed, several caught fire On June 3, 2016, a Union Pacific train with 96 tank cars carrying Bakken oil from New Town, North Dakota to U.S. Oil and Refining in Tacoma, Washington derailed in the Columbia River Gorge near Mosier, Oregon. Sixteen of the 96 cars derailed after the train's emergency brake system about 18 cars back from the engines engaged – several cars then caught fire. By 5pm large explosions were coming from the tankers. All of the crude oil carrying tank cars were CPC-1232 design,http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2016/06/oil_train_derails_near_hood_ri.html Oil train derails near Mosier in Oregon's Columbia River Gorge oregonlive.com 3 June 2016 a second-generation standard superseded in 2015 by the DOT-117 requirements, although enforcement had been delayed to May, 2025.Schoonover William S. Safety Advisory Notice for DOT-111 Tank Cars in Flammable Liquid Service March 22, 2023 U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Office of Hazardous Materials Safety 11 Interstate 84 in Oregon was closed, with Washington State Route 14 being recommended as a detour.http://koin.com/2016/06/03/reports-train-derailment-in-the-gorge/ Oregon train derailment spills oil, sparks fire June 3, 2016 KOIN.com 2025-08-27 3 June 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160603220039/http://koin.com/2016/06/03/reports-train-derailment-in-the-gorge/ deadhttp://www.opb.org/news/article/oil-train-derails-hood-river-mosier-school/ Oil Train Derails Near Hood River opb.org 3 June 2016 4 June 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160604133412/http://www.opb.org/news/article/oil-train-derails-hood-river-mosier-school/ deadhttp://koin.com/2016/06/06/trains-roll-through-mosier-school-cancelled/ Trains roll through Mosier, school cancelled Weisberg Brent 6 June 2016 KOIN 6 June 2016 Washington Department of Ecology, US Coast Guard, Federal Railroad Administration, and Portland Airport's specialty airport fire tender carrying 1300 gal liter of firefighting foam were among the 20 agencies that responded. As of 4:30pm firefighters were allowing the fire to burn the oil, simply monitoring it. Mosier residents were evacuated and the sewage treatment plant was shut down. An oil sheen was seen on the Columbia River by the following morning. Two days after the crash residents were allowed to return to their homes, and freight trains were running on the tracks, to the strong objection of the community. The community then passed an emergency motion asking Union Pacific to remove all oil from the damaged cars before resuming the use of the tracks. Union Pacific pushed the damaged cars out of the way and limited the train speed to 10 mph kph in the section.http://koin.com/2016/06/05/oil-train-derailment-fire-damaged-mosier-water-system/ Mosier evacuations lifted, Union Pacific resumes service Weisberg Brent 5 June 2016 KOIN 6 June 2016 6 June 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160606101405/http://koin.com/2016/06/05/oil-train-derailment-fire-damaged-mosier-water-system/ dead 42000 gal L of oil were spilled. Much of it was consumed by fire, some went into the Columbia River, and 10000 gal L were recovered from the city's sewage treatment plant.http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/morning_call/2016/06/in-mosier-angry-residents-complicated-tasks-ahead.html In Mosier, angry residents, complicated tasks ahead Giegerich Andy American City Business Journals 9 June 2016http://www.wweek.com/news/2016/06/06/oil-train-spilled-42000-gallons-of-crude-in-columbia-river-gorge-crash/ Oil Train Spilled 42,000 Gallons of Crude in Columbia River Gorge Crash - Willamette Week Mesh Aaron 6 June 2016 Willamette Week 9 June 2016 Non-investigation controversy The National Transportation Safety Board declined to investigate due to the lack of injuries or fatalities and early information gathered after the incident occurred indicated there was not a significant safety issue.Feds explain why they chose not to investigate oil train derailment in Columbia Gorge https://www.opb.org/news/series/oil-trains/feds-explain-why-they-chose-not-to-investigate-oil-train-derailment-in-columbia-gorge/ Oregon Public Broadcasting Tony Schick 21 July 2018 21 July 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180721103027/https://www.opb.org/news/series/oil-trains/feds-explain-why-they-chose-not-to-investigate-oil-train-derailment-in-columbia-gorge/ dead In response to the derailment and lack of investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden introduced the Mandate Oil Spill Inspections and Emergency Rules (Mosier) Act which calls for a moratorium on oil train traffic after major wrecks and require the Department of Transportation to reduce the amount of volatile gases in the crude oil those trains have been hauling. The bill would die in committee.Mosier Act Demands Derailment Investigation http://www.hoodrivernews.com/news/2016/jul/20/mosier-act-demands-derailment-investigations/ Hood River News 20 July 2016 21 July 2018Oil Train Legislation Mosier Act https://gorgefriends.org/protect-the-gorge/gorge-issues/oil-train-legislation--the-mosier-acts.html Gorge Friends 21 July 2018 thumb|left|Derailed and burning oil cars thumb|left|Coast Guard aircrew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter conducts an overflight near the scene of a train derailment See also 2015 Mount Carbon train derailment References Oregon Trains Category:2016 in Oregon Category:Columbia River Gorge Category:Derailments in the United States Category:Rail freight transport Category:Train and rapid transit fires in the United States 2016 Union Pacific oil train fire