Train derails in Northern Ontario, heightening safety fears

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Mon Mar 9, 2015, 02:13 PM - Edit history (1)

Train derails in Northern Ontario, heightening safety fears

KIM MACKRAEL
The Globe and Mail
Published Sunday, Mar. 08 2015, 10:20 AM EDT
Last updated Monday, Mar. 09 2015, 6:40 AM EDT

A second fiery derailment near a Northern Ontario community is adding to concerns that federal rail-safety regulations – brought into effect after the 2013 tragedy in Lac-Mégantic – do not go far enough in addressing the dangers of shipping crude oil by rail.

The accident, which occurred early Saturday morning, marks the second time in less than a month that a Canadian National Railway train carrying crude oil has derailed and caught fire near the community of Gogama, Ont. Between 30 and 40 tank cars went off the tracks less than four kilometres from Gogama, about 100 kilometres south of Timmins, causing a massive blaze that was still burning Sunday afternoon.



Several tank cars are in the nearby Makami River and police warned residents to stay indoors on Sunday amid fears about possible air and water contamination.
....

The tank cars involved in both of the accidents near Gogama were CPC-1232 models, according to CN. Those models have steel cladding at the front and protection over the valves – safety features that were not present on the tank cars involved in the Lac-Mégantic rail disaster, which killed 47 people. After Lac-Mégantic, Ottawa began phasing out the use of older-model tank cars for carrying crude oil.
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With reports from Eric Atkins and The Canadian Press

Related:

Fire still burns at northern Ont. train derailment, Toronto Sun, March 9, 2015

Ontario calls on feds to ramp up rail safety after recent derailments, Sudbury Star (Ontario), March 9, 2015

CN says crude oil train derailed in Ontario, fire reported, Sudbury Star (Ontario), via Reuters, March 7, 2015

Gogama train derailment: safety of shipping oil by rail questioned, CBC, February 17, 2015. There was an earlier derailment near Gogama.

[Demeter]

1. What was their first clue?

" federal rail-safety regulations – brought into effect after the 2013 tragedy in Lac-Mégantic – do not go far enough in addressing the dangers of shipping crude oil by rail. "

thank god those train bombs aren't making it down across the border.