Northwest Tribal Leaders to Highlight Risks of Oil Trains

MOSIER, Ore. (AP) — Leaders of several Northwest tribes are gathering at the site of last week's fiery train derailment to highlight the risks of moving volatile crude oil along the Columbia River.

The chairman of the Yakama Nation, JoDe Goudy, said in a statement Thursday that the derailment has been devastating to the town of Mosier and to people who live along the Columbia River.

The Yakama and other tribes have opposed the movement of oil and other fossil fuels through the region, saying the trains pose grave threats to public safety, the environment and their treaty-reserved fishing rights.

A 96-car train carrying crude oil from the Northern Plains' Bakken region to Tacoma, Washington, derailed June 3 along the Columbia River. Four cars caught fire.

Union Pacific Railroad spokesman Justin Jacobs said the company takes the concerns seriously. But he says the railroad is federally obligated to transport crude oil and other commodities for its customers.