After Train Fires, Feds Warn Bakken Oil May Be More Flammable Than Traditional Forms Of Oil

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

BILLINGS, Mont. – Following a string of explosive accidents, federal officials said Thursday that crude oil being shipped by rail from the Northern Plains across the U.S. and Canada may be more flammable than traditional forms of oil.

A safety alert issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation warns the public, emergency responders and shippers about the potential high volatility of crude from the Bakken oil shale patch. The massive oil reserve is fueling the surging industry in eastern Montana and western North Dakota, which is now the nation’s second-largest oil producer.

The warning comes after a massive explosion caused by an oil train derailment on Monday near Casselton, N.D. No one was hurt, but worries about toxic fumes prompted the evacuation of hundreds of residents from the small eastern North Dakota town.

The oil boom in the Bakken has reduced the nation’s reliance on imported oil and brought thousands of jobs to the region. But as companies have increasingly relied on trains to get that oil to lucrative coastal markets, public safety in communities bisected by rail lines has become a major concern.

Read more: http://lethbridgeherald.com/news/world-news/2014/01/after-train-fires-feds-warn-bakken-oil-may-be-more-flammable-than-traditional-forms-of-oil/

[skepticscott]

1. Of course light, sweet crude is different

than heavier crudes. But light, sweet crudes come from all over the place and are transported all over the place, and have nothing particularly to do with fracking. They are also considerably less flammable than gasoline, which gets trucked through our neighborhoods every day, with nobody batting an eye.

[Lifelong Protester]

2. This person who lives along the Mississippi River

in a small town the BNSF goes through is a little worried about these trains. They have increased the rail traffic by a lot. In 1980, when we moved here-24 to 26 a day. Now, 130+ a day.

Yes, 130 or more.

Many, many of them trains of tanker cars.

[Purveyor]

3. 130 individual trains a day or 130 tanker cars a day? eom

[Lifelong Protester]

4. 130 trains a day.

I walk by the river and am now interrupted in my walk almost always at one, if not both, crossings in town. The trains EACH have 100+ cars. I have counted while waiting.

[Purveyor]

5. Holy shit!~ I can't even imagine that. Our little ole village of Grass Lake has maybe a dozen,

mostly Amtrac/passenger trains at most.

Damn, just damn.

btw, don't tell anyone but I advocate mildly for pipelines. Still safer than rail in my book...

[Lifelong Protester]

8. Yeah, I thought it was my imagination, but no...

I asked the former mayor of the little town up from us, and he gave me the stats. He's a retired engineer (scientist) and knows his stuff, so I believe him.

Funny, in the last couple of days since the ND thing, there seems to be fewer trains running. I am now 6 blocks from the tracks, I used to be right NEXT to them. It still rattles the lampshades here....

[madrchsod]

6. i`m about 10-15 miles south of the mainline to chicago

single track with really long side tracks.looks like they are moving oil into the chicago refineries

when i was a kid in the 50`s we took a trip on that line up through minnesota. it is the only way to see god`s country.

[Lifelong Protester]

7. The train trip from Chicago to Red Wing, MN

then on to Seattle, is still the best thing going. The only problem is of course that the Amtrak runs on commercial lines, so if your train is late, you have to pull off and wait for all of those oil cars to go by....

[Thor_MN]

9. Or get off the train to be bused around a freight derailment

Or be delayed on the return trip by a freight train coupling that broke...

I took the Empire Builder to Glacier Park in the late 80's and each way was affected by problems with freight trains. I enjoyed the trip, but having to take a bus around a derailment does make you think a bit.

[NickB79]

10. We traveled that line to go to Glacier National Park

Back in 1994.

Very nice family vacation.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

11. Preliminary Guidance from OPERATION CLASSIFICATION

I was surprised to see that the warning did not come from the Federal Railroad Administration, but the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Here it is:

Preliminary Guidance from OPERATION CLASSIFICATION
http://phmsa.dot.gov/portal/site/PHMSA/menuitem.ebdc7a8a7e39f2e55cf2031050248a0c/?vgnextoid=c6efec1c60f23410VgnVCM100000d2c97898RCRD&vgnextchannel=d248724dd7d6c010VgnVCM10000080e8a8c0RCRD&vgnextfmt=print

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is issuing this safety alert to notify the general public, emergency responders and shippers and carriers that recent derailments and resulting fires indicate that the type of crude oil being transported from the Bakken region may be more flammable than traditional heavy crude oil.

Based upon preliminary inspections conducted after recent rail derailments in North Dakota, Alabama and Lac-Megantic, Quebec involving Bakken crude oil, PHMSA is reinforcing the requirement to properly test, characterize, classify, and where appropriate sufficiently degasify hazardous materials prior to and during transportation. This advisory is a follow-up to the PHMSA and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) joint safety advisory published November 20, 2013 [78 FR 69745]. As stated in the November Safety Advisory, it is imperative that offerors properly classify and describe hazardous materials being offered for transportation. 49 CFR 173.22. As part of this process, offerors must ensure that all potential hazards of the materials are properly characterized.

Proper characterization will identify properties that could affect the integrity of the packaging or present additional hazards, such as corrosivity, sulfur content, and dissolved gas content. These characteristics may also affect classification. PHMSA stresses to offerors the importance of appropriate classification and packing group (PG) assignment of crude oil shipments, whether the shipment is in a cargo tank, rail tank car or other mode of transportation. Emergency responders should remember that light sweet crude oil, such as that coming from the Bakken region, is typically assigned a packing group I or II. The PGs mean that the material’s flashpoint is below 73 degrees Fahrenheit and, for packing group I materials, the boiling point is below 95 degrees Fahrenheit. This means the materials pose significant fire risk if released from the package in an accident.

As part of ongoing investigative efforts, PHMSA and FRA initiated “Operation Classification,” a compliance initiative involving unannounced inspections and testing of crude oil samples to verify that offerors of the materials have been properly classified and describe the hazardous materials. Preliminary testing has focused on the classification and packing group assignments that have been selected and certified by offerors of crude oil. These tests measure some of the inherent chemical properties of the crude oil collected. Nonetheless, the agencies have found it necessary to expand the scope of their testing to measure other factors that would affect the proper characterization and classification of the materials. PHMSA expects to have final test results in the near future for the gas content, corrosivity, toxicity, flammability and certain other characteristics of the Bakken crude oil, which should more clearly inform the proper characterization of the material.

“Operation Classification” will be an ongoing effort, and PHMSA will continue to collect samples and measure the characteristics of Bakken crude as well as oil from other locations. Based on initial field observations, PHMSA expanded the scope of lab testing to include other factors that affect proper characterization and classification such as Reid Vapor Pressure, corrosivity, hydrogen sulfide content and composition/concentration of the entrained gases in the material. The results of this expanded testing will further inform shippers and carriers about how to ensure that the materials are known and are properly described, classified, and characterized when being shipped. In addition, understanding any unique hazards of the materials will enable offerors, carriers, first responders, as well as PHMSA and FRA to identify any appropriate mitigating measures that need to be taken to ensure the continued safe transportation of these materials.

PHMSA will share the results of these additional tests with interested parties as they become available. PHMSA also reminds offerors that the hazardous materials regulations require offerors of hazardous materials to properly classify and describe the hazardous materials being offered for transportation. 49 CFR 173.22. Accordingly, offerors should not delay completing their own tests while PHMSA collects additional information.

For additional information regarding this safety alert, please contact Rick Raksnis, PHMSA Field Services Division, [phone] or E-mail: [e-mail]. For general information and assistance regarding the safe transport of hazardous materials, contact PHMSA’s Information Center at 1-800-467-4922 or [e-mail].