Oil trains: South Sound first responders try to get grip on what new data mean for safety Read more

[unhappycamper]

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/06/29/3267316/oil-trains-south-sound-first-responders.html?sp=/99/296/331/



An oil train moves in May through downtown Tacoma. The growing number of 100-tanker trains that move through Thurston and Pierce counties have emergency responders scrutinizing the associated risks.

Oil trains: South Sound first responders try to get grip on what new data mean for safety
By Brad Shannon
Staff writer
June 29, 2014

Two or three trains loaded with Bakken crude oil rumble every day through towns in south Thurston County and suburban Pierce County, and the growing number of 100-tanker trains is bringing risks that emergency responders are starting to scrutinize.

Concerns over the oil’s movement have grown steadily after several derailments in the U.S. and Canada, including the disastrous July 2013 explosions in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, that killed 47 people.

An oil-traffic report from BNSF Railway released by the state Military Department last week shows 10 to 15 standard oil trains of volatile Bakken crude oil are shipped through Thurston County every week. The same BNSF report says 11 to 16 of its trains carrying at least 1 million gallons of crude pass weekly through Pierce County – along BNSF’s main lines that go through Steilacoom and University Place, near Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, and inland through Sumner, where the clatter of passing freight trains shakes buildings in the nearby business district.

A typical train has about 100 tanker cars each carrying about 680 barrels, which means each train hauls about 68,000 barrels of crude, according to the state Department of Ecology.

[pscot]

1. The local Sierra Club did a train count

last month to find out how many trains were passing through Everett on the way to Cherry Point. They found the trains move mainly at night and there seem to be more of them than B&N is reporting. They're lining up volunteers for another count in August. Most trains seem to move between 10pm and 2am

[woodsprite]

2. I'm in Newark, DE and that's when they said most of the activity with Bakken trains

is taking place. They said that was a good thing since they are using some of the AMTRACK trails to move their trains. We had been concerned of a derailment/fire, etc. As of today, they are not planning on keeping any of the equipment or foam on hand in the event of an accident. If we need to (they said) we'll call in equipment from Delaware City. These tracks go right behind daycares, schools, and housing developments.

Added: They (Norfolk Southern) also said we didn't have a lot to worry about since most of the cars they side for less than 36 hrs and they are empty. My brother works for the rail lines. He said the empty cars are worse since its the fumes that are more likely to explode than full tanks.

Ticks me off since the Fire Chief of Aetna Hose, Hook and Ladder stood right in front of us and said "Heavy crude is less flammable. You could stick a match in it and it would probably smother and go out. This Bakken is light and it's flash point is much closer to that of gasoline. You stick a match in it and ..... well...." But they're still not planning on having the proper fire fighting apparatus/supplies on site.