PD Editorial: California staying open on oil trains

While Americans enjoyed fireworks and barbeques over the July Fourth weekend, Canadians marked a somber anniversary. One year ago, 47 people died when a train hauling oil exploded in the small Quebec town of Lac-Mégantic.

Railroad officials, oil companies, environmentalists and other experts debate just how dangerous oil trains are. All Californians, but especially the ones who live in communities through which the trains pass, deserve a chance to join that discussion in an informed way.

Now they can because state officials recently backed off their misguided attempt to keep oil train information secret.

Most trains pass without incident. Only a whistle and rumble mark their passing.

Over the past year, though, North Americans have seen the worst that can happen. The incident in Canada was the deadliest, but not alone. Trains also exploded in North Dakota, Alabama and Virginia. Each hauled a particularly volatile flavor of crude oil that comes from the Bakken region of North Dakota, Montana and Canada.

Recognizing the local risk, the federal Department of Transportation issued an emergency order that requires railroads to inform states about routes they use to transport Bakken oil in quantities of 1 million gallons or more. First responders then can better prepare for the next catastrophe knowing that it might happen in their county.

Usually when companies file reports with the state, California’s open records laws ensures they are open for public review. That didn’t sit well with the railroads that try to avoid public scrutiny, especially when it comes to something as explosive - both literally and politically - as Bakken oil.

The companies asked states to sign non-disclosure agreements before receiving the federally mandated information. A few acquiesced, but most refused. The railroads had to provide the records anyway or pay hefty fines.

California was one of the states that wouldn’t sign away the public’s right to know, but it also refused to share the records with the people. It gave the railroads what they wanted without putting it in writing.

That untenable position lasted all of a few weeks. We applaud state regulators for having the courage to reverse a bad decision. No one likes admitting he was wrong.

The California Public Records Act serves Californians. State officials may neither sign its guarantees away nor ignore them to shield corporate interests. Indeed, public records often are most important when someone would prefer to keep them secret. Those are things worth knowing.

And oil routes are definitely worth knowing. Records released so far show that the oil trains do not pass through Sonoma Valley. They come from the north and east, through Sacramento and Stockton onward to Contra Costa County.

A frank conversation about oil shipments must weigh risks and benefits. California has considerable refining capacity and ports from which oil can depart to myriad destinations. Oil is an economic boon here and will likely continue to boost the state’s economy until the world transitions to cleaner, better energy sources. That won’t happen overnight.

In the meantime, the state must continue to ensure that Californians have the information they need to fairly assess their communities’ place in the energy pipeline.