Train Carrying Tons of Oil Derails & Explodes in Canada

[mirth]

From the following article:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/354037

Rail companies have resisted the proposed rules, asking that they be applied only to new tanker cars. They want existing tanker cars to be exempt.
In 2011, the Association of American Railroads estimated the cost of upgrading existing tanker cars at over $1 billion U.S. dollars.
Cleanup costs from derailments occurring between 2004 and 2008 cost nearly $63 billion, the group said.

[Martok]

Latest report: the engineer failed to set the handbrakes...all 11 of them.

...the engineer had told investigators that he set 11 handbrakes on the train before it broke away. "Our general feeling is now that is not true," Burkhardt said.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/10/world/americas/canada-runaway-train/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Oy vey. 

I've kinda been wondering if the human element wasn't a major factor, but that level of negligence is just staggering. 

^ Wow I had not seen it in the perspective before.  Just wow.

+2 

Reading about the destruction is one thing (and bad enough).  Actually seeing it like that, though...Jesus. 

[endfire79]

Just found someone's video of the fire as it was raging after the explosion, pretty crazy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRb3JHsiqfA

[Staggerwing]

It's almost as if a volcanic caldera opened up in the middle of town. Those poor, poor folks at the nightclub in the middle of that... I hope it was over soon for them. There would seem to be little else to hope for in their case.  :(

[Martok]

Yeah, it sounds like the best we can hope for is that they died quickly -- preferably before they could even realize what was happening.  :( 

[airboy]

There is a larger issue.  More oil is being shipped by rail.  The Wall St. Journal had the numbers (which I don't have in front of me).  With increased oil & gas production in the US & Canada the oil is having to be shipped by rail because:
1] Existing pipelines are at 100% capacity.
2] Piplelines don't exist to take oil from current production fields to the refineries.

Pipelines are much, much safer than transporting oil by rail.  But the green whackos have been doing everything possible to prevent additional pipelines being built or expanded. 

I remember all of the idiotic green predictions about the trans-Alaska oil pipeline being such a huge problem that would poison Alaska forever.  Of course, none of that happed because pipelines are much safer per ton mile than trains.

[Windigo]

There is a larger issue.  More oil is being shipped by rail.  The Wall St. Journal had the numbers (which I don't have in front of me).  With increased oil & gas production in the US & Canada the oil is having to be shipped by rail because:
1] Existing pipelines are at 100% capacity.
2] Piplelines don't exist to take oil from current production fields to the refineries.

Pipelines are much, much safer than transporting oil by rail.  But the green whackos have been doing everything possible to prevent additional pipelines being built or expanded. 

I remember all of the idiotic green predictions about the trans-Alaska oil pipeline being such a huge problem that would poison Alaska forever.  Of course, none of that happed because pipelines are much safer per ton mile than trains.

I'll give you that.... give me a teaparty whacko over a eco-whacko any day.

And pipelining is the way to go, not only safer, but significantly cheaper too

[GDS_Starfury]

give me a teaparty whacko over a eco-whacko any day.

oh sweet irony, I do love you.

[Windigo]

give me a teaparty whacko over a eco-whacko any day.

oh sweet irony, I do love you.

all about personal choices today my friend,

tommorow the velvet fist of green tyranny gets put back on

[GDS_Starfury]

on what?

[Windigo]

on what?

never thought of that.... wonder what the feedback on it would be

[GDS_Starfury]

Now there's a visual of you typing.   :o

[airboy]

People are entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts.

When people cannot even agree on objective reality, then there is no solution to problems.  Windego can form opinions based on objective facts - which all thinking people should be able to do.

Unfortunately, many people are so blinded by ideology that facts cannot sway them.  Leaning one way or another from ideology is not a real problem, unless you cannot adjust your opinions to objective reality.

[endfire79]

Some have started to talk about pipelines, but I think that is only limited to oil.  There are plenty of industrial materials needed for use & production that need to be transported by rail.  Using more truck-tankers has been floated around, but I think that would only make traffic congestion worse, and driving more hazardous.  Throwing more of those on the highways doesn't sound like a better solution (even the green activists can see that). Nor does it sound like it would be even close to as cost effective as rail is.

I've heard some local politicians in the area here ask about seeing if trains carrying hazardous materials can go around their cities or neighborhoods.  However they haven't proposed where it should go, if not through the already existing track. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Railroads-Canada-frame.png


Sounds like the way forward will be better maintenance by the rail company, better trains, better management, and having stricter enforcement of the rules by both industry & government.  Sounds like there's been a lot of research onto it throughout the years. 
Next Generation Tank Car Project (NGRTC)
https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/

Small tidbit, the group that manages the public pension plan here in Quebec had invested several million dollars into MMA a few years ago, in capital and in the form of a loan (the loan was paid back by 2011, and current investment about $1000)
http://www.lacaisse.com/en/news-media/press-releases/facts-caisses-investment-montreal-maine-atlantic-railway-corporation

[airboy]

The quantity of material shipped is why oil & natural gas can be economically shipped by pipeline. 

You are right that many other hazardous chemicals are shipped by rail.  But those derailments are not as serious because of the smaller quantities of materials.