News Alert: BNSF crude train derails in Washington state

A photograph of a BNSF train hauling tank cars.

BNSF (NYSE: BRK) is reporting that a train carrying crude oil detailed in Custer, Washington, on Tuesday.

The incident occurred around 11:40 a.m. PST. It involved a northbound train. BNSF confirmed that seven tank cars derailed and two were on fire.

In a tweet earlier Tuesday, the company had said potentially three to five tank cars derailed and a fire was reportedly occurring at the end of the train.

BNSF said it is working with local authorities and to mitigate the situation. It will investigate...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/news-alert-bnsf-crude-train-derails-in-washington-state

Breaking News: FMCSA rules Washington state can no longer enforce meal/rest break laws

Federal regulators have determined that the state of Washington’s meal and rest break (MRB) laws are preempted for commercial trucks subject to federal hours of service (HOS) regulations.

In a decision to be published Tuesday, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) granted a petition filed last year by the Washington Trucking Associations (WTA) requesting the agency make the determination.

FMCSA concluded that:

  1. Washington’s MRB rules are state laws or regulations “on commercial...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/breaking-news-fmcsa-rules-washington-state-can-no-longer-enforce-mealrest-break-laws

BNSF, Union Pacific help prevent spread of wildfires

A photograph of a BNSF train.

Although BNSF’s (NYSE: BRK) rail operations haven’t encountered major disruptions from the wildfires in the Pacific Northwest, the railroad is doing its part to help fight fires.

“Thankfully the impacts to our network in California thus far have been minimal. We do continue to monitor the fires throughout the Pacific Northwest, including in Washington state and Oregon,” BNSF spokesperson Amy Casas said.

In Washington, BNSF has deployed its fire trains, based in Wishram and Pasco, to help support...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/bnsf-union-pacific-help-prevent-spread-of-wildfires