New Oil Train Safety Rules Divide Rail Industry

[mahatmakanejeeves]

New Oil Train Safety Rules Divide Rail Industry

Many railroad companies want more time to retrofit cars in the U.S. and Canada, but some are forging ahead.

By Joe Eaton for National Geographic
Published October 31, 2014

Three days after an oil train derailed and exploded in 2013 in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, killing 47 people, Greg Saxton wandered through the disaster site inspecting tank cars.

For Saxton, the damage was personal. Some of the tank cars were built by Greenbrier, an Oregon-based manufacturer where he's chief engineer. Almost every car that derailed was punctured, some in multiple places. Crude oil flowed from the gashes, fueling the flames, covering the ground, and running off into nearby waterways.
....

In the wake of this and other recent accidents as energy production soars in North America, Canadian and U.S. regulators are proposing new safety rules for tank cars that carry oil, ethanol, and other flammable liquids. Saxton and Greenbrier have pushed for swift changes, but others in the industry are asking for more time to retrofit cars like the type that exploded at Lac-Mégantic. (See related stories: "Oil Train Derails in Lynchburg, Virginia" and "North Dakota Oil Train Fire Spotlights Risks of Transporting Crude&quot

"If you don't set an aggressive time line, you won't see improvements as quickly as the current safety demands require," Jack Isselmann, a Greenbrier spokesman, said. "We've been frankly just perplexed and confused by the resistance."

The deadly oil train accident at Lac-Megantic, Quebec, raised awareness of the potential dangers of transporting crude by rail.

Photograph by Ryan Remiorz, Associated Press

The story is part of a special series that explores energy issues. For more, visit The Great Energy Challenge.