Background on the issue
When 63 tank cars carrying
crude oil exploded in a firestorm that engulfed Lac Mégantic, Quebec, the blast
radius of one kilometer incinerated
much of the downtown. The remains of many among the 47 victims were never
found. Today, residues from crude oil and heavy metals have rendered areas of Lac
Mégantic uninhabitable.
Trains just like the one that exploded in Lac Mégantic are now planned to run through the East Bay, right along the tracks that run through the Tri-Cities. Known in the industry as DOT 111s, the design of these tank cars has not changed significantly since they were introduced.
Increasingly, accidents are occurring. Twelve derailments have occurred in the past year, averaging one a month. Some have sparked huge explosions and fires, such as one that stunned Casselton, N.D. in December of 2013.
Reacting to a rash of train wrecks – particularly to a derailment, a fire, and an oil spill into the James River in May of 2014 – the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a safety alert citing an “imminent hazard” to the public. This emergency order requires that shippers indicate to state and local officials the number of trains each week, their specific routes, and the contents of the tank cars. It also requires railroads to inform state emergency commissions about any large shipments of oil. As far as we can tell, this is not happening – or if it is happening, word is not getting to local first responders.
Nonetheless, railroads and refineries are planning to run crude oil trains along the highly urbanized east side of San Francisco Bay. A proposed upgrade to the Phillips 66 refinery in Santa Maria, California (outside San Luis Obispo) would allow it to “crack” more Bakken crude arriving from North Dakota on trains passing through Richmond, Berkeley, Oakland, Hayward, Fremont, and San Jose.
Trains just like the one that exploded in Lac Mégantic are now planned to run through the East Bay, right along the tracks that run through the Tri-Cities. Known in the industry as DOT 111s, the design of these tank cars has not changed significantly since they were introduced.
Increasingly, accidents are occurring. Twelve derailments have occurred in the past year, averaging one a month. Some have sparked huge explosions and fires, such as one that stunned Casselton, N.D. in December of 2013.
Reacting to a rash of train wrecks – particularly to a derailment, a fire, and an oil spill into the James River in May of 2014 – the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a safety alert citing an “imminent hazard” to the public. This emergency order requires that shippers indicate to state and local officials the number of trains each week, their specific routes, and the contents of the tank cars. It also requires railroads to inform state emergency commissions about any large shipments of oil. As far as we can tell, this is not happening – or if it is happening, word is not getting to local first responders.
Nonetheless, railroads and refineries are planning to run crude oil trains along the highly urbanized east side of San Francisco Bay. A proposed upgrade to the Phillips 66 refinery in Santa Maria, California (outside San Luis Obispo) would allow it to “crack” more Bakken crude arriving from North Dakota on trains passing through Richmond, Berkeley, Oakland, Hayward, Fremont, and San Jose.
Links to other important information:
Blast zone map (28 July 2014) America's Exploding Oil Train Problem (2 September 2014) U.S. issues safety alert for Oil Trains (7 May 2014) Transportation Safety Head Calls For End To 'Tombstone Mentality' (23 April 2014) Richmond and Berkeley Oppose Fracked Oil and Tar Sands Rail Shipments (26 March 2014) Human cause of global warming is near certainty, UN reports (30 January 2014) Get involved in Food and Water Watch's Fracking Action Center Follow the Benicia Independent for breaking East Bay oil train news Follow Forest Ethics for updates on the Alberta Tar Sands |