Many Oil Train Routes Secret or at High Risk of Derailment

Oil Trains Hide in Plain Sight

December 4, 2014    Benicia Independent  (Repost from The Wall Street Journal   )     
By Russell Gold, Dec. 3, 2014

 

Rail Industry’s Secret: Volatile Crude Routes Often Kept From Cities and Towns

NEWARK, Del.—Early last year, a new kind of pipeline full of volatile oil appeared in this college town, halfway between Philadelphia and Baltimore.

If it had been a traditional pipeline, there would have been government hearings and environmental reviews. There would be markers or signs along the line’s route and instructions for nearby residents on how to react in an emergency. A detailed plan for responding to a spill would be on file with the federal government.

None of that happened here in Newark. In fact, nobody initially notified the city’s fire chief about the new line, which can carry more than a hundred thousand barrels of oil a day along Amtrak’s busiest passenger-rail corridor…..

….The desire for secrecy seems wrongheaded to some experts. “If you don’t share this information, how are people supposed to know what they are supposed to do when another Lac-Mégantic happens?” asked Denise Krepp, a consultant and former senior counsel to the congressional Homeland Security Committee.

She said more firefighting equipment and training was needed urgently. “We are not prepared,” she said. ….. read more here

A crude oil train operated by BNSF snakes its way west through James, Ca., just outside of the Feather River Canyon-
Jake Miille

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article4248324.html#storylink=cpy

Senator calls on Jerry Brown to halt crude oil trains in ‘treacherous’ California mountain passes

By Tony Bizjak   Sacramento Bee 12/02/14

Sen. Jerry Hill on Tuesday called on Gov. Jerry Brown to halt the transport of crude oil on trains and other hazardous materials “through our most treacherous passes.”

The request by Hill, D-San Mateo, comes in reaction to a corn train derailment last week in the Feather River Canyon that sent train cars and corn spilling down an embankment into the river. The cause of the derailment is under investigation.

The Feather River route through Plumas and Butte counties is used by at least one train a week carrying up to 2.9 million gallons of highly flammable Bakken crude oil from North Dakota. More crude oil trains are expected to be coming into the state in the next few years, most of them traversing mountains passes deemed “high-risk” for derailments by the state Public Utilities Commission. State officials have said they do not believe California is ready to deal with the consequences of a major oil spill and fire....    read more here

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article4248324.html#storylink=cpy