As you'd expect of the state's senior senator, Ron Wyden took to the floor of the US Senate earlier today to rail (PUN) against the recent Union Pacific oil train explosion near Mosier, and call on his colleagues to take steps to make oil transport safer.

Wyden largely focused on pushing a bill he introduced last April (along with Sen. Jeff Merkley and a number of others): the "Hazardous Materials Rail Transportation Safety Improvement Act."

"What happens next?" Wyden said. "What is congress going to do to start fixing the problem?"

As explained by Wyden, his bill wouldn't limit oil train transport. It's instead a means to better prepare communities like Mosier for future oil train explosions—by offering funding to relocate tracks and train first responders. And he said the act would allow for more frequent track inspections. Union Pacific has blamed a fastener on the track near Mosier for Friday's derailment.

But Wyden also broke a bit of news—at least as far as I know. He says Union Pacific CEO Lance Fritz has committed to suspending oil trains through the gorge until three things happen:

•A cause for Friday's explosion has been determined.

•Union Pacific ensures the accident won't happen again.

•The company addresses the concerns of the City of Mosier.

Two of those are a little wishy-washy. The second one probably isn't possible. But it's more detail than Union Pacific offered up yesterday, when a spokesman would only says it's committed to halting oil train traffic "in the short term."

Here's Wyden's full speech.