Nobody likes exploding trains, but Americans can’t yet seem to quit their unhealthy relationship with fossil fuels, and so we get exploding trains. Five this year, as a matter of fact.
You know who really doesn’t like exploding trains? Firefighters.
Emergency responders are among the first to arrive on scene following an oil train explosion, and a spokesperson for the International Association of Fire Fighters recently announced the association’s objections to new federal safety measures for oil trains put in place earlier this month. The association cited information-sharing requirements as its major objection, but also said emergency responders need better training regarding how to respond to hazardous materials incidents.
Portland currently gets mile-long trains filled with fossil fuels received by Arc Logistics, located off Highway 30 on the Columbia River. If Canada-based Pembina Pipeline Corporation has its way—which doesn’t appear likely—Portland will receive millions of gallons of propane via oil train, too.
The tankers carrying fossil fuels like crude oil, ethanol and propane across the country have weak spots that make them vulnerable to being punctured and catching fire. A new design should increase safety, but the improved models aren’t yet widely available.
Not only are the tankers vulnerable, but the tracks they roll on are as well. American Association of Railroads‘ Senior Vice President Patricia Reilly says rail owners have spent billions on track upgrades, and have more upgrades planned for the future, but those damn trains just won’t stop derailing.
Just today, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law a measure intended to improve fossil fuel transportation safety by imposing new restrictions and taxes on companies shipping oil through the state. Let’s beat Washington on something cool, finally, and just ban all of them, mmkay, Oregon?
It’s true that oil rail accidents have shot up in recent years … but that doesn’t make Keystone less dangerous than train shipments. Trains are more likely than pipelines to have accidents, but their accidents are less environmentally devastating: The International Energy Agency’s eight-year analysis of oil spills found the risk of a spill is six times higher for rail than pipeline shipments, but a pipeline accident spills three times as much oil as a rail shipment.
For death and property destruction the risky to safe gamut runs: truck worse than train worse than pipeline worse than boat (Oilprice.com). But for the amount of oil spilled per billion-ton-miles, it’s truck worse than pipeline worse than rail worse than boat (Congressional Research Service). Even more different is for environmental impact, where it’s boat worse than pipeline worse than truck worse than rail.
The point is rail, truck, boat, and pipeline all have their place and the Federal Railroad Administration makes and enforces the rail health and safety rules. The FRA has a good deal of latitude in how strict an eye they keep on the railroads. Lobbied incessantly by the rails they may turn a blind eye. Remind the FRA that they work for you. Sign the petition for strict regulation at http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/enforce-railroad-health?source=s.fwd&r_by=1718159