Rail cars carrying crude are inspected

[hrmjustin]

Casey Seiler

Albany

State officials announced the results of a new round of targeted inspections of freight rail cars and track on Thursday, a day after an Virginia accident involving a rail car carrying crude oil heightened awareness of the risk of stepped-up fuel shipments.

The inspections, conducted Wednesday, covered nearly 700 tank cars and 152 miles of track across upstate.

At the Kenwood Yard at the Port of Albany, inspectors from the Federal Railroad Administration and the state Department of Transportation examined 120 tank cars for mechanical defects — 80 carrying crude oil and 40 carrying ethanol — and found five defects, including one damaged wheel and four worn brake shoes.

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Rail-cars-carrying-crude-are-inspected-5447071.php

[hrmjustin]

1. Oil trains are a proven public hazard

http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/542659/Oil-trains-are-a-proven-public-hazard.html?nav=5003