Large U.S. Cities Prep for Oil Train Disaster

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM and GEOFF MULVIHILL | September 4, 2015

  • September 4, 2015 at 7:57 pm
    Paul Wulterkens says:
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    The Zarembski report, commissioned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, concludes that even though the railroad industry and the Department of Transportation have taken many actions to heighten
    the safety of oil trains, there is still concern about the level of risk in the blast zones, home to 16 million Americans.
    Among its recommendations were: that inspectors focus on oil train routes, including track, equipment, and operating practices; that state and local inspectors coordinate their efforts; that no more than .04 to .06 service failures per mile per year be permitted; that oil train routes be tested by a Track Geometry Car at least four times per year; and that oil train routes have Wheel Impact Load Detector Units at least every 200 miles and hot bearing detectors at least every 25 miles.
    It identifies the causes of derailments as Track (45%), Equipment (25%), Human Factors (15%), and Other (15%), confirming the value of detecting and eliminating flaws in track and equipment.
    It revealed that the cost of a crude oil derailment is much higher than what the railroad, which overlooks damage to the cargo and costs of delay, environmental cleanup, and property damage and bodily injury liability, officially reports.
    Under new leadership and with a tailwind from a public wanting increased safety, even at the cost of railroad profits, the Federal Railroad Administration may well be amenable to enforcing the report’s stricter railroad health and safety regs. Sign the attached position to show that’s exactly what you want. Click on http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/enforce-railroad-health?source=s.fwd&r_by=1718159, sign, and add a comment.



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