FERNDALE, Wash. — A new Washington state law aimed at preventing potentially explosive oil train derailments is limiting the shipments to a Whatcom County refinery.
The law limits the pressure allowed in rail cars shipping crude oil to Washington refineries over the amount they received in 2018.
Energy industry analyst S&P Global reports the Manager of Phillips 66 at Cherry Point tells federal regulators the law is forcing the refinery to sharply limit oil by rail shipments, and is hurting refiners’ profitability.
Phillips 66 gets 94% of its oil-by-rail shipments from North Dakota, and that state and Montana have petitioned the feds to overrule Washington’s law.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office says they’ll defend the law against any court challenges.