Emergencies Many Times Hit on the Boundaries

The recent Mosier oil train derailment that I've written about previously highlights one aspect of emergencies and disasters. That being that they often happen on the borders of jurisdictions.  Check out this NPR story Before Mosier Derailment, Union Pacific Lobbied Oregon Against Tougher Oil Train Rules, And Won.

It highlights the differences in state regulations and also the response capabilities of the two state agencies, each responsible for their respective spill responses. It is a reminder that emergencies and disasters are not always that neat and tidy with just one jurisdiction, one response organization, one level of government involved and a multitude of opinions on how to respond; clean-up; and, recover from an incident like this.

All the above argues for joint planning between organizations.