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Hot Zone News Archives 2005

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Woman dead after Arkansas train derailment An Arkansas woman is dead following a fiery railyard accident that also destroyed her home.

Meanwhile, hundreds of others have been allowed back in their homes after a train derailment that released toxic chemicals into the air. Authorities said a tanker car loaded with flammable gas derailed and exploded before dawn Saturday.

Firefighters are allowing the fire to burn itself out. They said it should be out by sometime today.
October 16th, 2005, Capital News


Danger may be riding the rails Editorial
but the railroads aren't eager to share that information. Congress has to force them.

Maybe it's us. Maybe we're just too dense to appreciate the thinking behind the virtually universal policy among the nation's rail freight carriers that says, in effect: What we carry on our rail lines is none of your business. It may be hazardous; it may be toxic; it may be explosive or highly flammable; and it may be rolling right through your backyard. But we're not going to tell you ahead of time what's on the train and, in the oh so unlikely event of a derailment, you're going to have to come looking for a manifest. And do not even think we'll let you hold it in your hands while you search for signs of impending doom.
We admit it. We don't get it. We also don't like it and we sure as heck think somebody ought to change it fast before somebody gets killed because of corporate stubbornness. October 15th, 2005 Record Online


Cleanup following train derailment expected to last a couple of days Texarkana - An investigation into the cause of Saturday's train derailment and collision in Texarkana, Arkansas is underway.

An elderly Texarkana woman was killed by a fire sparked by the collision.

The accident happened around 5 o'clock Saturday morning at the Union Pacific Rail yard. Officials say seven empty train cars and a tanker carrying propylene derailed and collided in the switchyard. That then ignited an explosion that sent flames soaring into the morning sky. Smoke from the fire could be seen up to eight miles away.

One fire official said, "The fire ball was probably about 18-hundred feet at its base." October 15th, 2005 KTBS News


Explosion in Arkansas Prompts Evacuation Hundreds of Homes Are Evacuated After Train Car-Gas Tank Explosion Occurs in Arkansas 

Hundreds of homes were evacuated Saturday after a liquid propane gas tank was hit by a Union Pacific train car, exploding in a ball of fire and leaving a plume of smoke over the south end of the city, a police spokesman said.

Officers went door to door and urged thousands of people to move to the north side of town while firefighters put out the blaze.

The air quality was of most concern because a train car carrying vinyl acetate caught fire, police spokesman Chris Rankin said. Rankin said fumes from the chemical are "most definitely poisonous." October 15th, 2005, ABC News


Emergency workers share lessons from Graniteville disaster  NORFOLK, Va. -- Plumes of thick smoke billowed out of a mangled heap of twisted black metal. A white car lay crushed under a fallen tree. Railroad cars were tossed on top of one another like a child’s train set cast aside.

A woman screams at a 911 operator, “I can’t see anything. There’s smoke. I’m by

Press-Enterprise Special Report 

 myself. I’ve got to get out of here.” Another man yells on the phone, “It’s chlorine. It’s chlorine. We can’t get out.”

This was the scene that Robin Chapman, a public relations manager for Norfolk-based Norfolk Southern Corp., faced on Jan. 6 this year in Graniteville, S.C., when one of his company’s trains transporting chlorine collided with a parked train at 2:40 a.m. The collision covered the small mill town’s downtown with a blanket of 90 tons of the deadly gas. October 13th, 2005, BLET


One Minot derailment lawsuit settled FARGO, N.D. -- Lawyers for hundreds of people seeking damages in a deadly 2002 train derailment and chemical spill west of Minot are touting the first settlement in the case.

The claims filed by Henry and Linda Juntunen and their son, Joey, of Minot, against Canadian Pacific Railway were settled Tuesday morning "on the proverbial courtroom steps," said Ron Barczak, an attorney for the family. The case was set to go to trial next week.

"It's very encouraging that Canadian Pacific has stepped up and settled this rather major case," said Mike Miller, a Fargo attorney handling 20 separate states' cases against the railroad as well as a class action lawsuit involving nearly 1,000 people. "My clients are very anxious to move forward."

A spokeswoman for the railroad declined comment Wednesday. Canadian Pacific has said it will not comment on the lawsuits as they move through the courts.

The Juntunen family lived in the rural Minot neighborhood that was enveloped by the cloud of anhydrous ammonia early on the morning of Jan. 18, 2002. Joey was 17 or 18 at the time, Barczak said.

The Juntunens suffered breathing problems and other health problems from which they have not yet recovered, the attorney said. Though they still live in the Minot area, "they did not move back into the home that had been engulfed by this poisonous fog," Barczak said Wednesday.

"They are glad that they are done (with the court case), but they wish it would have never happened," he said. October 13th, 2005, BLET


Ten of the cars that derailed were empty, including the car that landed in the river. That car contained a residue of ignet, a powdery substance O'Connell likened to aluminum. Department of Environmental Conservation officials said there was no risk of contamination from the car that landed in the river.

Other cars contained loads of the nontoxic powder, wood pulp and soy bean oil, officials said.

The derailment was the first in recent memory in Amsterdam. The accident is dwarfed by a derailment that occurred in Fonda in December 1995, when 51 cars were knocked off the rails. One of those had been carrying sodium hydroxide that spilled into nearby farmland and forced the evacuation of homes. October 13th, 2005, Times Union


Two trains go off tracks  There were two train derailments in the B.C. Interior on Tuesday morning – in the span of about an hour.

Four cars went off the track just outside the CP railyard in Kamloops, which partially blocked the nearby Trans-Canada Highway. A short time later in the Fraser Canyon, a CN train hit a slide in a steep section near Yale causing a diesel spill.

CP is in charge of that cleanup as well because the accident happened on track it owns. Cocolicchio says the extent of the damage to the rail line is still not known.

RCMP Const. Steve Hiscoe says two railway employees were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Environmental cleanup crews have been sent to Yale to assess the damage. October 11, 2005, CBC British Columbia


Teamsters report on rail safety seeks more training, curbs on remote control  According to IBT's survey, 87 percent of respondents said there was no certified engineer available to assist or relieve other engineers in case of emergency or hijacking.

Meanwhile, 84 percent of respondents said they had not received training related to terrorism prevention and response in the previous 12 months. Virtually all of those IBT members surveyed (99 percent) said they had not received training specific to the monitoring of nuclear waste shipments, 62 percent said they had not been trained on their role in their railroad's emergency response plan, and 37 percent said they had not received training from their railroad on the Department of Transportation's hazardous materials placarding system.

"The results of this survey are startling and, I would have to say, somewhat frightening," John Murphy, director of the Teamsters Rail Conference, said at a Sept. 29 news conference. October 11, 2005 BLET


Critics of planned port rail yard raise smog concerns Although still in the early planning stages, a sprawling rail facility that would straddle Wilmington and Long Beach has many Harbor Area residents concerned that the complex will add to local air pollution problems.

Several hundred people attended a public meeting last week in Long Beach, saying that the facility is too close to schools and homes. With another meeting set for Thursday in Wilmington, officials from Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway are asking the public to give them time to present their case, saying that they are doing everything to address environmental concerns. October 11, 2005, Daily Breeze


Opinion: Managing risk Government regulators must also be aggressive in making sure the laws governing the transport and storage of such chemicals are followed. The railcar containing styrene apparently began leaking because somebody lost track of the car, which was sitting on a railroad siding, and a chemical that is added periodically to stabilize the flammable styrene had expired. The incident could have been much worse - the car was in danger of exploding but was cooled down by fire hoses before it could get to that point.

Which brings us to the bottom line. The location of rail lines and plants that use chemicals in highly developed areas is not the ideal situation, to say the least. In many cases we just have to live with it - a water treatment plant must use chemicals to purify water, and we need the jobs these plants provide. October 19th, 2005, BLET


Minot derailment lawsuits hitting the courts, three years later  BISMARCK, N.D. -- Nearly four years after his life was changed forever, Tom Lundeen's focus is shifting from constant worries about his family's health to a Minneapolis courtroom where he hopes for some sign of resolution.

The battle over injuries and damages after a Jan. 18, 2002, Canadian Pacific Railway derailment and chemical spill on the outskirts of Minot is headed for a jury trial. Pretrial motions are scheduled in Minneapolis late this week, before a Hennepin County judge, with jury selection expected to start the following week.

The first handful of many lawsuits against the railroad are scheduled to be tried together. Attorneys say the outcome could lay the groundwork for resolving other cases filed after the disaster that still haunts Lundeen and his neighbors. October 10th, 2005, BLET


'Where's styrene?' call in vain Terminal says it tried to inform railroad  The intended recipient of a rail car filled with styrene that overheated and caused an

Quote of the week, October 6th, 2005, by Patti Sramek, Long Beach California resident concerning proposed railroad yard: "They're trying to treat us like a third-world country. It's just a dumping ground over here,"

evacuation of Cincinnati's East End in August said it twice notified the railroad shipping the hazardous material that the car was overdue - but got no response.

Officials at Queen City Terminals noticed the rail car was missing in January after checking a bill sent by manufacturer Westlake Chemical Corp. (describing the contents of the rail car) with an inventory of the cars they had received, said spokesman Rick Rainey.

The car sat, abandoned, on a siding near Lunken Airport for five months before it erupted, spewing a plume of fumes and raising the possibility of an explosion. October 6th, 2005 Cincinnati Enquirer


 

Proposed Rail Yard Angers Residents of Nearby Long Beach Community  Long Beach residents are protesting plans by the Port of Los Angeles to build a 153-acre rail yard just upwind of a working-class neighborhood with five public schools, a day-care center and a homeless veterans' center.

Critics said the 1 million diesel-belching trucks that would carry cargo to the yard each year would worsen air pollution in an area of west Long Beach and Wilmington that they called a "sacrifice zone" for the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the nation's two largest seaports. October 6th, 2005 L.A. Times


Styrene leak prompts advisory The railcar chemical leak that caused the evacuation of more than 800 residents in Cincinnati's East End prompted a safety advisory from the Federal Railroad Administration Wednesday to railroads and others that deal with hazardous materials.

"FRA's investigation into the styrene incident in Cincinnati is not yet complete, but the fact that a car of time-sensitive material, carrying an inhibitor, was apparently allowed to languish on the same railroad for seven months is not acceptable," Daniel Smith, the agency's associate administrator for safety, said in the advisory.

The advisory recommends railroads, shippers and receivers of time-sensitive materials follow new industry standards that went into effect Sept. 1, just days after the styrene leak began in Linwood near Lunken Airport, threatening to cause a large explosion. October 6th, 2005 Cincinnati Post


St. Bernard plant called worst-case accident site

Residents of Cincinnati's East End and nearby neighborhoods were evacuated because of a lone railroad tank car leaking styrene vapors in August, but other chemical risks, potentially even more dangerous, are parked at dozens of businesses and rail sidings across the region.

More than 60 companies in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky use one or more hazardous chemicals in large-enough amounts that they're required to file risk-management plans with the federal government, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The St. Bernard plant is one of about 110 facilities in the United States that, in the event of a worst-case accident, could pose a danger to more than a million people in surrounding areas, according to EPA data.  October 6th, 2005 Cincinnati Post


Textile lawsuit blames damage on Norfolk Avondale claims railroad's actions harmed business  AIKEN - Avondale Mills Inc. is suing Norfolk Southern Corp. and three fired employees for damages caused by the January train crash and chlorine spill, according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained Wednesday.

The suit states that the train company and its workers were negligent and have "caused Avondale's textile business catastrophic damage." Textile production has yet to return to full capacity at Avondale, and the company announced Tuesday that it is laying off about 350 people. October 6th, 2005 Augusta Chronicle


Graniteville Train Crash Report coming AIKEN - A federal investigation of the Graniteville train disaster is almost complete, and final results might be published before year's end, according to a lead investigator.

National Transportation Safety Board officials have traveled to the small mill town many times since the Jan. 6 train collision and chlorine spill that killed nine people and injured hundreds more. October 6th, 2005 Augusta Chronicle


Toxic Gumbo  Oil is not the only toxin that saturates Louisiana and threatens the health of residents returning to New Orleans and adjacent parishes. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality reports that muck covering the area is contaminated with human waste and bacteria, including E.coli, a fecal bacterium. It estimates that between 1,000 and 5,000 railroad cars have been damaged by Katrina, including some carrying chlorine or sulfuric acid. The EPA says water may be polluted by arsenic and lead from paint and the batteries of 350,000 submerged cars. Shattered homes and businesses are contaminated with asbestos and mold. October 6th, 2005, Salon


EPA probing railway waste dumps  NORTH BERGEN - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, at the urging of two congressmen, is investigating the dumping of tons of construction and demolition waste at open-air waste transfer stations in the township. October 5th, 2005 North Jersey.com


Graniteville is free from spill contaminants   - Graniteville residents can breath easy, say officials of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

They can also plant flowers and wade in Horse Creek without fear of exposure to chlorine, diesel fuel or creosol.

About 70 people gathered at Leavelle McCampbell Middle School on Tuesday night to hear the results of air, soil and water samples taken in and around the site of the January train wreck and chlorine spill that killed nine and sickened hundreds.

Three experts explained the sampling methods and conclusions in some depth, which were summed up in one sentence by Nancy Whittle, DHEC's environmental quality control community liaison.

"We did not find chlorine gas in soil, in air or in water," Ms. Whittle said. October 5th, 2005 Augusta Chronicle


Graniteville mills begin 350 layoffs GRANITEVILLE - Avondale Mills Inc. officials announced Tuesday that 350 employees will be laid off, a move that comes after months of coping with the aftermath of a January chlorine spill that corroded some of its key textile plants.

"It's a direct result of the difficulties we've experienced because of the January derailment," said Stephen Felker Jr., a company spokesman. October 5th, 2005, Augusta Chronicle


CN says safety record improved this year  Despite another derailment on the weekend, CN claims its safety record is actually better this year than last year.

CN spokesman Jim Feeny said yesterday that there have been 1.4 accidents per million train miles so far, compared with 1.7 during the same period last year.

"CN's accident ratio is substantially lower than the Canadian industry average," he said.

In the latest incident, two tanker cars loaded with propane and four empty cars went off the tracks at the Walker Yard at 97 Street and 127 Avenue around 11:30 p.m. Saturday.

The cars remained upright and no propane leaked, Feeny said. October 3rd, 2005 Edmonton Sun


Emissions from trains are a major health concern for people living near rail operations  By the year 2020, freight trains up to 1 1/2 miles long will roll through the area every nine minutes --twice as often as they do now. October 3rd, 2005 SVGTribune.com


Clerical error 'misplaced' rail car: Wrong input showed tanker of styrene was headed for Mich.  Cincinnati - An improper keystroke into a computer is how a rail car that leaked the dangerous chemical styrene into the air last month ended up in Linwood, according to documents the railroad gave lawyers representing neighborhood residents and businesses.

The revelation came during an informal hearing in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Thursday morning among 19 lawyers and Judge Melba Marsh, who has been assigned the case. September 30th, 2005 Cincinnati Enquirer


Safety, Security, Earn Failing Grade in Worker Survey of Nation's Rails  Teamsters Rail Conference and Members of Congress Respond to Disturbing Findings September 27th, 2005 Teamsters


CN tracking latest derailment  Another CN train has gone off the rails, this one southeast of Edmonton. Yesterday's accident was the sixth derailment for the corporation in the past two months.

A locomotive, which leaked about 30 litres of diesel fuel, and 10 empty freight cars went off the rails near New Sarepta, 48 km southeast of Edmonton.

A preliminary investigation by the Transportation Safety Board indicates a broken rail may have caused the derailment. September 27, 2005 Edmonton Sun


Derailment heaves potash onto banks of Moyie River  CP Rail, Environment Ministry at odds over how much fertilizer was spilled.

VANCOUVER -- CP Rail and provincial environmental officials are cleaning up after a derailment Sunday in southeastern B.C. spilled an unidentified amount of potash at the Moyie River.

Exactly how much potash spilled out of the two cars that turned upside down is in dispute between CP Rail and the Environment Ministry.

The ministry says 100 tonnes of the reddish powdered fertilizer leaked, but the rail company says the spill was smaller.

"We don't have a confirmed amount," said CP Rail spokesman Ed Greenburg. "It's a minimal amount that made it to the river's edge." September 27th, 2005, Globe and Mail


Cities pitch rail hazmat bans JACKSONVILLE -- Four major cities have pending legislation to ban certain hazardous materials from being carried by rail through at least part of their jurisdictions, even though CSX Transportation Inc. is challenging the only such locally enacted law in federal court.

CSXT attorneys were in court Sept. 21 for a procedural hearing in the company's lawsuit to void Washington, D.C.'s law banning hazardous shipments within 2.2 miles of the U.S. Capitol. CSXT has already won a ruling from an appeals court enjoining the city from enforcing its law. September 25th, 2005, MSNBC


Empty nuclear waste container tips over  BUFFALO, N.Y. -- An empty container used to store spent nuclear fuel tipped over Thursday while being hauled by train to a shipyard. The container was not damaged and there was no release of radiation, the Department of Energy said.

The 320,000-pound container tipped when the train sideswiped another in the CSX Frontier Railyard in Buffalo, CSX spokesman Gary Sease said. No one was hurt.

The container was being taken to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, from the DOE's Naval Reactors Facility at the Idaho National Laboratory, where it had been emptied of used nuclear fuel from a Navy warship.

The container had no visible damage, and testing confirmed no release of radioactivity, said Jim Carey, a spokesman for the DOE's Pittsburgh Naval Reactors Office. September 23, 2005 BLET


CN toxic spill on Cheakamus River; need to commit resources to upgrade Railway Act  Squamish Canada - (letter to the editor) As you probably know, there was a toxic spill [caustic soda/Sodium Hydroxide-a highly corrosive liquid used in the pulp and paper industry] due to a derailed CN railcar in the Cheakamus River canyon just north of Squamish, BC, Aug. 6, 2005. As a resident of Paradise Valley immediately downriver from the spill location, and a business leader in my community, I am compelled to do whatever I can to ensure such a disaster does not happen again. September 23, 2005 Whistler Question


 SLRD voices CN concerns Length of trains presents safety, environmental issues, say directors In response to the CN train derailment in the Cheakamus Canyon on Aug. 5, Lillooet Mayor Greg Kamenka is calling for change. After talking to a number of CN employees, Kamenka said long trains and the sharp curves of the Sea to Sky corridor do not mix. He said anything beyond 60 to 70 cars is risking derailment.

In August, part of a 144-car train plunged into the Cheakamus River en-route to Prince George. One tanker spilled 41,000 litres of caustic soda into the river, causing widespread ecological damage.

Although a Ministry of Transportation investigation is ongoing, the SLRD board of directors is asking for more action. Squamish Director Raj Kahlon witnessed the damage firsthand and insists CN needs immediate change. He contends that CN trains are too long to travel safely through the Cheakamus Canyon and more trips need to be taken. He was adamant that 10 more derailments must not happen.

“This is a unique stretch of railway and the time has come for action,” Kahlon said at Monday’s regular board meeting. “I want strong words and I don’t want to back down.” September 23, 2005 Whistler Question


Judge Demands To View Rail Plan D.C. Hazmat Cargo Ban At Issue in CSX Lawsuit  Washington D.C. - A federal judge yesterday demanded to see a highly secret plan for protecting the Washington area's rails from a chemical attack and erupted after a Justice Department attorney said he doubted the government would comply.

U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan said he was stunned and offended by the government's hesitation and ordered that a copy of the document be delivered to his chambers by 10 a.m. today.

"The government doesn't want me to see the plan, says they don't have to give it to me, which I quite frankly find offensive," Sullivan declared, glaring at the Justice Department attorneys. "I want to see the plan with my own eyes, and I'm not going to rely upon the assertions of government lawyers."

The judge's demand came at a hearing in a lawsuit over a D.C. law that prohibits the rail shipment of hazardous materials through the city. CSX Transportation Inc. filed suit to overturn the ban, and the federal government joined on the railroad's behalf. The law, which was to have taken effect in April, has been on hold pending a decision in the court case.

In court yesterday, Sullivan said he needed to see the rail security plan, which was developed by CSX, to verify for himself that it even exists. CSX submitted the plan to the federal government, which has been reviewing it to determine how much of it can be released. September 22, 2005 Washington Post


Train Derailment Forces Residents to Evacuate Toledo, OH -A train derailment in South Toledo has forced dozens of residents out of their homes.

Officials say it the accident happened around midnight Tuesday morning.

Authorities tell ONN affiliate WNWO, three to eight cars derailed and then overturned.

They say at least one car was carrying liquid petroleum; a hazardous chemical. So far, there are no reports of any leakage or injury.

Residents were taken by TARTA bus to Libbey High School for precautionary measures.

Crews are expected to continue working until noon, so residents may be withheld from their homes until then.

Officers are stressing that children should not use the sidewalks in the accident area on their way to school. September 20, 2005 Ohio News Network


Deputy commander has 'long term' issues with ethanol facility Chambersburg, PA - The highest ranking civilian at Letterkenny Army Depot raised serious concerns Monday about an ethanol plant that could be built next door to the installation north of Chambersburg.  Rail tankers would transport the ethanol. The tracks in the business park have had four derailments since 1999. Trains hauling ethanol derailed in California, Indiana and Kansas in the first week of September. September 20, 2005 Public Opinion


 Repairing rails in the Gulf Coast  Last week, the company sent a 3-mile convoy of vehicles and more than 100 workers into the Gentilly Yards at New Orleans, which were flooded in the wake of Katrina. Most of the water is gone, but it left behind tangles of overturned rail cars and shipping containers, plus whole sections of undermined track. Corman officials said crews will live on site in trailers and motor homes for up to three weeks while they complete repairs.

Hundreds of rail cars that were flooded will have to be inspected. If the cars' wheel hubs were underwater, federal regulations require that wheel bearings and other parts be replaced before the cars can go back into operation, said Noel Rush, president of R.J. Corman Derailment Services, a part of the Corman Group.September18th, 2005 Lexington Herarld-Leader


Train collision kills worker, forcing evacuation SHEPHERD -- Two Union Pacific trains collided and derailed north of Houston in downtown Shepherd, killing one employee, forcing an overnight evacuation of hundreds of residents and canceling school today.

San Jacinto Constable Jerry Everitt said that by daybreak, the diesel fuel spill that sent residents fleeing to Shepherd High School and Shepherd Primary School had been cleaned up and residents were allowed to go back home shortly after 6 a.m. 

San Jacinto County spokeswoman Judy Eaton said firefighters went door to door early today to evacuate between 500 and 600 residents within a half-mile radius of the track. September 15, 2005 Houston Chronicle


DEQ: Rail cars pose hazards No leaks so far, but data still sketchy Hundreds and possibly thousands of railcars in the area hit by Hurricane Katrina could be an environmental hazard.

The problem for state Department of Environmental Quality staff is in not knowing what or where that hazard might be.

Assistant DEQ secretary Wilbert Jordan said that conservatively there may 1,000 railroad cars in the impacted area, but that number could be as high as 5,000.

The largest number of these railroad cars are likely in the New Orleans area but some are in other affected areas as well, he said.

In this heavily industrial part of the state, chemicals such as chlorine, sulfuric acid and others that pose hazards to human health are routinely transported by rail. September 15, 2005 Baton Rouge Advocate


No chemical leaks seen from New Orleans trains  There is no evidence of dangerous chemical leaks from overturned rail cars in New Orleans but teams are still testing them for hazardous materials, Louisiana's top environmental official said on Wednesday.

Until now the environmental focus in the hurricane-hit region has been on spilled oil and bacteria like E. coli, but officials are increasingly searching for other toxins too.

New Orleans is a major rail hub and one of the major products carriers move through the city is chemicals.

"We have no visual evidence from reconnaissance of leaks or spills," said Mike McDaniel, secretary of the state Department of Environmental Quality. "We have started, for lack of a better term, triage."

His department is working from information provided by 17 rail companies, data the state was forced to demand under an administrative order after it had difficulty getting a complete picture of railcar contents.

"Responses were a little slow and maybe not complete," McDaniel said. September 14, 2005 Reuters


Utah plans fight against tribe's nuclear waste site SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah is planning its challenge to a federal ruling that would allow shipments of nuclear waste to an impoverished American Indian reservation 45 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.

Gov. Jon Huntsman said Tuesday he would "stand in the middle of the railroad track" to stop the shipments, although a court battle seems much more likely. September 14th, 2005 BLET


Locomotive derailment causes diesel fuel spill  More than 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel were dumped on the ground when two locomotives derailed Sunday morning in the Union Pacific Bailey Yard.
An eight-inch gash in the fuel tank of one of the locomotives caused the diesel fuel leak, according to Mark Davis, Union Pacific Railroad spokesman. Another 2,200 gallons that remained in the damaged fuel tank were removed. September 14, 2005 North Platte Telegraph


NIEHS Awards $37 Million to Train Emergency and Hazardous Waste Workers

More than $37 million will go to workers involved in emergency response and hazardous waste clean-up from awards just made by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), one of the National Institutes of Health. The grants will provide training designed to protect workers and their communities from exposure to toxic materials encountered during hazardous waste operations and chemical emergency response. September 13, 2005 NIEHS


 Third train derailment closes U.S. 50 west of South Hutch Kansas According to Deputy Fire Chief Mike Patterson, the BNSF train had just picked up several tanker cars filled with liquefied petroleum gas from the loading rack at Ferrellgas when the accident happened.

The loading rack is located on a siding track and didn't affect the nearby Union Pacific line that parallels Blanchard.

Hazmat crews arrived and inspected the scene, Patterson said. They quickly determined that gas wasn't leaking from the tanker trucks, and the situation appeared to be stable. September 13th, 2005 Hutchinson News


Flaws found in concrete coating at BNSF fuel depot  HAUSER, Idaho -- More problems have been found at the BNSF Railway's refueling depot where several leaks were discovered earlier this year. September 12, 2005 BLET


DEQ requests information from railroad companies  BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality issued an administrative order on Friday requesting information from 17 railway companies that have railcars in the area impacted by Hurricane Katrina. September 12, 2005 BLET


Derail meeting set Those interested in learning more about the Cheakamus spill on Aug. 4 are invited to attend a public meeting at the North Vancouver Outdoor School on Wednesday (Sept. 14). The goal of the open house is to update the status of the river and plans for remediation of the waterway. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the outdoor school’s main auditorium. September 9th, 2005 Squamishchief.com


Angry residents protest CN Rail Two Squamish residents set up picket signs beside

Quote of the week, September 9th, 2005 by Rios Sdrakas Rivers Edge Sportfishing Outfitters, Squamish Canada: "Everything I’ve worked towards seems miniscule in the haze of CN’s lights at 4:45 a.m. I’ve already lost so much and I don’t feel I am willing to loose any more."

 train tracks on Cleveland Ave. Saturday (Sept. 3) to protest CN Rail. Rick Smith and Randy Marchant said they want more patrolling of the tracks and fewer cars per train.

“We’re sitting here instead of going fishing,” said Marchant. “They changed the way I live my life. I should be able to change the way they do their business.” September 9, 2005 SquamishChief.com


Waiting for CN to call What would I do if a train derailed in my backyard? How would I react? Obviously, my life would change and perhaps bitterness would envelope me. I certainly would not be the same. Before I bought my house, I wanted to experience being in the house when trains went by. Six years ago, I sat on the edge of the seller’s bed to see if I could cope. I needed to know if trains affected me, and at that time they didn’t. Six years later, trains consume me. What gives? This is not the same house I moved into. With over 70 CN Train derailments to date (since January 1st, 2005), I am becoming increasingly uneasy, to say the least. When will it stop? When will I feel good about where I live? Should I worry so much or have I become a kook? Everything I’ve worked towards seems miniscule in the haze of CN’s lights at 4:45 a.m. I’ve already lost so much and I don’t feel I am willing to loose any more. September 9, 2005 Whistler Question


Agency to railroads: Monitor your cargo WASHINGTON - The federal agency with

 oversight of the nation's railroads has finished inspecting Cincinnati's rail cars and hasn't found any other potential chemical leaks, Rep. Jean Schmidt said Thursday. The Federal Railroad Administration also will issue a national advisory to all rail operators that handle hazardous shipments, reminding them of the procedures that must be followed, said Schmidt, R-Miami Township, Clermont County. September 9th, 2005 Cincinnati Enquirer


The grain train drain Missoula, MT - BNSF is spending more than $1 million to reduce the impact of the spill by putting an electric fence around the tracks and grain, and hiring the Wind River Bear Institute, which manages bears using Karelian bear dogs, to keep grizzlies away as the grain is cleared.

And it didn’t have to be this way, Peck says. When the trains derailed on Aug. 26, only three freight cars spilled their grain. To clear the tracks quickly, BNSF purposefully toppled another 20 freight cars down a steep slope, spilling more grain. September 8, 2005 Missoula Independent


Rail officials agree to talk WASHINGTON - Rail America and the Federal Railroad Administration have agreed to answer questions about how a tanker car that started spewing toxic fumes last week came to be abandoned in Cincinnati, Rep. Jean Schmidt said after a meeting with officials late Wednesday.

But as has been the case since the tanker filled with the toxic chemical styrene first started shooting steam, answers were not immediately available. September 8, 2005 Cincinnati Enquirer


Alberta should have been prepared for Wabamun Alberta Canada - Lake Wabamun is an example of the damage that can be caused by a lack of proper planning. After the initial delay before CN even attempted to contain the spilled bunker oil, containment and clean-up efforts were stunted by the lack of “specialized equipment” that neither CN nor the province’s environmental agencies had on hand. Some of the necessary equipment had to be brought in from Vancouver, while more and more oil and dangerous chemicals were leaching into the lake. The question that we must ask ourselves is, “Why?” September 8, 2005 The Gateway


MP wants rail corridor review Yellowhead MP Rob Merrifield has written a letter to federal transport minister Jean Lapierre calling for a review of safety and maintenance procedures along the Edmonton-Jasper rail corridor. Because the rail line runs through Edson, Hinton and environmentally sensitive areas including Jasper National Park, Merrifield said the rail line must be operated at the highest of safety standards.
“The frequency of these derailments suggests that rail safety and maintenance measures may be slipping,” added Merrifield in his letter. “I am calling on you, at minimum, to order a review of the safety and maintenance procedures for the entire Edmonton-Jasper rail corridor. This should include a thorough examination of the rail lines, the rolling stock and driver operating procedures.”
September 7, 2005 Jasper Booster


Chesley files 7th lawsuit in Cincinnati rail-car leak  Lawyer Stan Chesley is representing the city of Cincinnati in a lawsuit stemming from the chemical leak that led to the mandatory evacuation of more than 800 homes and businesses in the East End a week ago.

The suit, filed Tuesday afternoon in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, called the styrene leak from a railroad tanker "an environmental catastrophe" and alleged the companies responsible are trying to escape responsibility by being deceitful and by coercing evacuees into settlements. September 6, 2005 Cincinnati Enquirer


Small spill contained after train derails Hinton Parklander Canada — A CN freight train derailed about 20 kilometres east of Hinton on Aug. 29, The derailment occurred just after 7 a.m. near the Obed Mountain Road railway crossing. The train had left from Edmonton earlier that morning and was headed toward its next stop in Jasper.
Ten cars in the 130-car train jumped the tracks with only one car overturning.
Bob Beck, the director of emergency and protective services for Yellowhead County, said he that the county was never informed about the derailment by CN.
September 5, 2005 Hinton Parklander.com


Long-Haul, Short-Line Trains Block, Boost NoCo Business  Colorado - "Some people argue that the trains were here first," said Willis. "But the lines were put in Larimer County to haul sugar beets. Now they carry ammonium nitrate, propane and chlorine right through the middle of town."

Willis wondered what a single derailment near the courthouse would mean to the city.

"There was that chlorine spill in South Carolina," he said. "I'm not sure we are prepared. September 5th, 2005 RedNova News


Payouts to evacuees in gas leak resume CINCINNATI, Ohio -- A railroad company resumed offering settlements to residents displaced from their homes by a chemical scare, moving to a suburban hotel to avoid city officials. September 4, 2005 BLET


Chemicals travel far and wide And railroad agency doesn't watch them all  Nearly 2 million train cars filled with toxic chemicals - many even more dangerous than the one that caused the evacuation in Cincinnati's East End last week - cross through cities nationwide, with hundreds passing through Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky daily.

Yet, no one knows where all the cars are at any given point - including the federal agency charged with regulating the railroad industry. September 4, 2005 Cincinnati.com


 

CSX photos taken in the hurricane area  September 3, 2005 BLET


CPR asks judge to dismiss claims from Minot derailment  BISMARCK, N.D. -- The Canadian Pacific Railway is asking a judge to dismiss all claims from a January 2002 derailment that spilled more than 220,000 gallons of anhydrous ammonia and sent a deadly chemical cloud over Minot. September 3rd, 2005 BLET


REP. GOHMERT INSPECTS DERAILMENT-PLAGUED TRAIL

PRITCHETT - The one-mile stretch of railroad track where three trains have derailed in three months has not been repaired sufficiently, U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert said after walking the track with county officials.

Gohmert said the safety of the community is at stake with the current track conditions, something Files said he feared.

"These are my friends and family, right here in this area by the tracks," Files said. "All it takes is one tank of chlorine derailing to make this really dangerous." September 2, 2005 Tyler Morning Telegraph


Ohio says rail car wasn't there long Ohio state regulatory  officials said Thursday that the rail car that released the toxic chemical styrene, forcing the evacuation of 814 East End homes and businesses, was not at its current location six days before the incident.

That conflicts with previous reports from city officials that the tanker had been sitting in a side yard near Lunken Airport for at least five months. September 2, 2005 Cincinnati.com


Rail-car payments abruptly end Mayor sends claims reps packing for soliciting lawsuit waivers  Cincinnati - Mayor Charlie Luken abruptly shut down a claims office Thursday for residents who had been displaced by a chemical leak, angering many who said they desperately needed the money.

Calling representatives from the Indiana & Ohio Railway and Westlake Chemical Corp. "liars," Luken ordered two police officers to escort officials out of a city community center that was used as a claims office. September 2, 2005 Cincinatti.com


Styrene leak near Lunken a familiar story COVINGTON - The video of people being rounded up and leaving their homes, the uncertainty, the roads closed in Cincinnati's East End - all of this in the last week has brought back the memories of Christmas 1996 to longtime Latonia residents.

They were evacuated from their homes on Dec. 26, 1996, after styrene - the chemical used to make Styrofoam - began spewing from a nearby plastics factory. September 1, 2005 Cincinnati.com


Leak evacuation ends Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken said Wednesday, hours after he lifted the mandatory three-day evacuation of 814 properties on Cincinnati's East Side, that he remains frustrated about the lack of information shared with the city.

Luken said no one from the Federal Railroad Administration, the Westlake Chemical Corp. or the Indiana & Ohio Railway has provided information about the railcar. The railroad administration is leading the investigation. Westlake Chemical made and shipped the chemical, called styrene. The I&O owns the side rail where the car sat. September 1, 2005 Cincinnati.com


Sulphur-loaded CN train derails in B.C.  VANCOUVER -- A Canadian National freight train left the tracks in British Columbia's Fraser Valley on Wednesday, the latest in a series of derailments that have beset the railway.
 
CN spokesman Jim Feeney said the westbound train consisting of two locomotives and 97 cars derailed near Cheam. It is not known how many cars left the track. The train was loaded with dry sulphur.
September 1, 2005 National Post


City continues evacuation as styrene in air nears hazard level  

Quote of the week for August 31, 2005. Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken: 'Wal-Mart can track a pair of socks across the country, and you guys can't track a railcar full of dangerous chemicals?' "

Cincinnati - Even as styrene continued spewing into the air from a rail car near Lunken Airport for the third day, businesses, residents and the mayor were calculating the costs and vowing to hold the railroad and chemical company responsible for the mounting tab. Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken said the city has already spent an estimated $1 million in responding to the toxic chemical leak that started Sunday night and has forced the evacuation of 814 properties since Monday. August 31, 2005 Cincinnati.com


Cincinnati: Demand answers on styrene leak 

The car was not invisible. There were people in Cincinnati who knew exactly where it was and what was in it. A valid question asked by city officials Monday was whether the tanker was moved around to avoid regulatory inspections.

Rep. Jean Schmidt, newly elected to the district that includes the tanker scene, said a congressional hearing may be needed to sort things out. We urge her not to let up until these questions are answered.

The styrene requires a stabilizing agent to be added to the load every four months, fire officials said. If that hadn't been done since December, it could explain why pressure built up in the car until it started venting through a safety valve Sunday. However, officials said there also were reports that the car had been moved periodically and some of the styrene offloaded for use by a local customer. Using an unattended tank car essentially as a portable storage unit for toxic chemicals raises other concerns about how it is safely monitored. August 30th, 2005 Cincinnati.com


How could this happen? Loaded rail car apparently sat idle for months  Cincinnati- As a toxic plume caused hundreds of East Side Cincinnati residents to flee their homes and businesses Monday, investigators focused on how a rail car filled with an unstable chemical could sit unattended for at least five months.

A curfew was in effect until 6 a.m. today. Monitoring was to continue through the night on the rail car that was leaking styrene and was a source of worry through the day and night that it could explode. August 30th, 2005 Cincinnati.com


Leaking Tanker Car Was Ticking Time-Bomb

Cincinnati - New fears of an explosion in a leaking train car near Lunken Airport have led to an urgent situation for residents, motorists and students on both sides of the river, News 5 reported. "A catastrophic event could happen" if the tanker car explodes, a fire official said. It could create a fireball, rip apart the car and propel it like a rocket up to a mile in any direction, News 5's Brian Hamrick reported. The 22,000-gallon tanker car, filled with highly flammable styrene, has been a ticking-time bomb, sitting on a track near the airport for six to seven months, Mayor Charlie Luken disclosed in a morning news conference. He vowed to investigate. August 29th, 2005 Channelcincinnati.com


Water fix at Wabamun may run $6M EDMONTON -- The village of Wabamun may need a $6-million pipeline to get its drinking water back on track, Mayor Larry Burton said on Sunday.

Since 43 train cars derailed earlier this month, dumping thousands of litres of fuel oil into Wabamun Lake, residents' water needs have been met by the town of Stony Plain. CN Rail has covered the cost of moving several truckloads of water -- each worth about $250 -- to the village 65 kilometres west of Edmonton every day since Aug. 3. August 29th, 2005 Edmonton Journal


Truck derails train 

Collision triggers diesel spill; no injuries reported NEOSHO, Mo. - An 18-wheeler wrapped around the engine of a northbound Kansas City Southern train Wednesday afternoon south of Neosho, triggering a derailment, fire and diesel spill. August 25th, 2005 Joplin Globe

A mountain of coal waits for a ride It is the world's most-heavily traveled track. Ten giant coal mines in Wyoming produce nearly 40% of the U.S. supply. And coal powers more than half of U.S. electricity generation. But the streaming sludge undercut bridges and switches, pushed steel rails out of gauge and destroyed concrete ties. Fifteen coal cars of a Burlington Northern train derailed May 14. A few hours later, 28 cars of a Union Pacific train derailed. August 25th, 2005 USA Today


Public inquiry with full participation needed to solve CN derailment habit say

Quote for the week of August 23rd, 2005. United Steelworkers' National Director Ken
Neumann: "We want to know what CN is trying to hide. Is it the fact that materials being loaded onto trains are poorly identified? Or is it that the railway
knows that its practices are dangerous and reckless? The public deserves to
know."

 Steelworkers TORONTO, With reports of yet another train derailment since the beginning of August, United Steelworkers' National Director Ken Neumann is calling for a full public inquiry into the practices of Canadian National Railway Company. August 23rd, 2005 United Steelworkers of America


CN Rail: How Do We Sleep Beside an Anaconda? Canada -Should people in McBride and other towns be concerned about the safety of the rail cars that snake through their communities and roll by their lakes, rivers, farms? August 23rd, 2005 Robson

 Valley Times


People exposed to gas set to be screened  Graniteville, SC- The focus of the current screenings is to make sure that people who need medical care get it, health professionals emphasized. However, there also is a push to conduct long-term studies of some people who were exposed to the gas.

Though there is extensive research into the effects of chlorine, Graniteville provides a unique opportunity to observe the effects in women and children, Dr. Svendsen said. August 23rd, 2005 Augusta Chronicle


Tanker leak sparks evacuation  North Platt, NE Vapor from a tanker at Bailey Yard on Monday required some of the workers around the immediate area to be evacuated. August 23rd, 2005 North Platte Telegraph


Public health department begins free screenings for Graniteville  The state's public health department on Monday began screening Graniteville residents affected by a toxic chlorine release more than six months ago.

The state Department of Health and Environmental Control will provide free medical screenings for those in the Graniteville area during a Jan. 6 train derailment that killed nine people and injured hundreds when a chlorine tanker ruptured, releasing a toxic cloud. About 5,400 were evacuated from the area, and more than 400 people have been in contact with the agency. August 23rd, 2005 Dateline Alabama


New Jersey officials up in arms over railroad trash depots New Jersey officials are trying to shut down open-air trash transfer depots that have sprung up next to railroads across the state, saying they use a federal loophole to avoid state environmental and health regulations. August 21, 2005 Newsday.com


Spill residents expect CN compensation  Wabamun, Alta. — People around a popular recreational lake in Alberta are expecting CN Rail to compensate them for turning the area into an environmental mess. August 21, 2005 Globe and Mail


Residents In Pritchett Are Furious With The Lack of Support From Union Pacific  

Residents in Pritchett are sick of waiting for Union Pacific to fix the tracks that run between Big Sandy and Gilmer.

"One of the hazardous chemicals that gets trucked up and down this railroad daily is chlorine," said Mike Files a Pritchett Resident. "Chlorine gas is fatal and it could have catastrophic effects."  August 19th, 2005 KLTV


Judge in S.C. OKs Suit in Train Evacuation  A federal judge approved a class-action settlement Wednesday for damages from a January train wreck that killed nine people as it spread a toxic cloud over the nearby mill town of Graniteville. August 18th, 2005 Washington Post


CN donates $250,000 to salmon recovery project  CN Rail announced Wednesday it will donate $250,000 to the Pacific Salmon Foundation to help with a salmon recovery plan for B.C.'s Squamish River watershed. It appears CN Rail is trying to boost its environmental image and score some public relations points after a disastrous couple of weeks. On Aug. 5, one of CN's tanker cars dumped 41,000 litres of sodium hydroxide into the Cheakamus River, decimating fish stocks and killing some animals that consumed the fish carcasses. August 18th, 2005 CTV.ca


Don't derail Soto's railroad bill TRAIN derailments are a frightening event, even when nobody's hurt and no toxic chemicals are released. When trains jump the tracks, people automatically get jumpy. And confusion and panic are a natural result when people aren't prepared ahead of time. August 18th, 2005 Whittier Daily News


Judge approves class-action settlement despite some concerns  A federal judge approved a class-action settlement Wednesday involving one of the nation's worst chemical spills in nearly three decades, despite concerns from some residents.

"It appears this settlement as proposed is fair," said U.S. District Judge Margaret Seymour.

However, two Graniteville residents testified they were unhappy with the attorney's representation, and several other objections were submitted to the court from people not involved in the class. August 17th, 2005 The State.com


Residents In Small Town Of Pritchett Texas Have Had Enough  Residents in the small town of Pritchett say they have had enough after a third train derailment in just as many months took place yesterday. Seventeen Union Pacific cars derailed about 6:00 a.m. near Highway 155. Its just about a mile down the track from where two other derailments took place in May. Residents say they want something to be done and they want it to be done now. August 17th, 2005 KLTV.com


'Forgotten victims' get attention  The loss of only two pets during Hurricane Charley last year shows the nation is making progress in protecting pets and farm animals during natural disasters and other emergencies, according to a University of Colorado at Boulder sociology professor. August 15th, 2005 Colorado Daily


MCI Expands Disaster Recovery Capabilities MCI announced it has expanded its Disaster Recovery capabilities for government customers to include back-up voice services that will restore incoming communications within minutes. In addition, MCI is expanding its business continuity solutions for its fastest growing service, Private IP, to include a comprehensive suite of options, enabling customers to better prepare for unforeseen events. August 15th, 2005 Yahoo


Demands will be met, CN says  The provincial government Saturday handed CN Rail strict new orders that impose rigorous deadlines for cleaning up Wabamun Lake and surrounding areas contaminated by oil. Premier Ralph Klein made a flyover of the Wabamun area on Saturday.

"Seeing the damage from that vantage point made it clear to me that this has been a disaster, both for the people in the area, and for the natural environment. It's heartbreaking," the premier said in a news release. August 14th, 2005 Edmonton Journal


Toxic cloud plaintiffs give voice to anger  One after another, they stood in the Allen Temple Church of God in Christ to give their accounts of the day a toxic cloud hovered over the city and their disappointment 10 years later when they received their piece of a $50 million class-action settlement.

"Fifteen dollars, $25, $700, zero dollars, that's not fair," said Joel Miller, president of the Community Action Organization, during the group's second rally session for plaintiffs dissatisfied with their settlement checks. "It's an insult to the community, an insult to the parish."

About 16,000 plaintiffs received their shares of the $50 million settlement in May, with awards ranging from $41.50 to more than $150,000.  August 13th, 2005 New Orleans Times-Picayune


Get railway safety back on the tracks Nationwide, though, there were 16 Canadian main-track derailments in June, compared to an average of nine for the same month in the 2000-2004 period, according to the Transportation Safety Board. In the first six months of the year, there were 107 main-track derailments, compared to the 2000-2004 average of just 71. So far this year, the number of derailments has exceeded the five-year average in every month. August 12th, 2005 Toronto Star


Train hits gas tanker, igniting deadly fireball LUCIO BLANCO, MEXICO - A tank truck laden with liquefied propane was hit by a freight train Thursday afternoon and exploded in the center of this agricultural town, killing at least two and injuring 44 residents who sprinted for safety as roaring flames shot down the main street.

More than a dozen homes and businesses, along with 17 cars, were destroyed, police said.

"It looks like a war zone, doesn't it?" said Joseph Horn, deputy chief of the Brownsville Fire Department, as he directed a pair of firetrucks sent to help control the fire. August 12th, 2005 Houston Chronicle


Lawsuit says job caused illness The wife of an NJ Transit employee who died in 2002 of a job-related lung disease was awarded $19.2 million Wednesday by a Superior Court jury. August 11th, 2005 APP.com


D.C. train ban remains on hold while other cities efforts advance  Efforts to ban certain rail shipments of toxic chemicals are moving forward in some U.S. cities despite a lengthy court battle that has put on hold a ban the District of Columbia enacted in February.

Amid heightened concerns of terrorist threats to rail systems following the recent London attacks, momentum appears to be building in Baltimore and Chicago for legislation to address the possibility of attacks on rail tankers that ban advocates call rolling chemical weapons. August 11th, 2005 GovExec.com


Lawmaker pushes rail fee to aid evacuation planning CA State Sen. Nell Soto, responding to a growing concern about railroad safety in the Inland area, plans to announce today that she will push to allow local governments to charge railroads a fee for using their own tracks to raise money for increased evacuation planning. August 11th, 2005 BLET


Leadership needed in wake of spill Public confidence in the cleanup at Wabamun Lake is sinking along with the morass of bunker oil from the CN rail cars. No wonder. It's taken almost a week to find out there was another, potentially hazardous, substance leaking from one derailed car since last Wednesday. August 11th, 2005 Editorial Edmonton Journal


Toxic pole oil not listed as a dangerous good  "There are so many questions that we don't, in my view, have the proper answers to, and we intend to get those answers," said Doug Goss, a spokesman for a local citizens' committee. "Not the least of which was why it took five days to determine that this stuff was leaking into the water."

Imperial found it "unfortunate and distressing" that this might have made people think the petroleum firm misrepresented the product in the rail car, said Imperial spokesman Pius Rolheiser. "Imperial provided accurate, correct and required information to meet transportation guidelines."

The material was described as "pole oil" and "Imperial pole treating oil" in documents provided to CN prior to shipping, Rolheiser said.

It doesn't fall under the Dangerous Goods Transportation Act, so Imperial did not have to provide a material safety data sheet with shipping information. August 11th, 2005 Edmonton Sun


Two CN Rail Derailments, Two Environmental Disasters Two Canadian National freight trains derailed last week leading to massive environmental damage in waterways in Alberta and BC.

On Wednesday August 3, a CN train derailment poured more than 700,000 litres of bunker fuel oil into Lake Wabamunin, a popular recreational lake west of Edmonton. Three days later, a CN train derailed near Squamish spilling highly toxic sodium hydroxide into the Cheakamus River. August 9th, 2005, Macleans


Wabamun on alert Residents advised not to use water after new reports of hazardous chemical in last week's derailment

Forty-five of 140 train cars left the tracks last Wednesday near Wabamun. Some contained bunker C fuel oil, used in liquid asphalt and to power barges and ships. Twelve of those cars, including a car once believed to be carrying lubrication oil, leaked into the lake and surrounding shoreline.

With the assistance of CN, he said, Alberta Environment now believes the lube oil may actually be pole-treating oil from Imperial Oil.

An online fact sheet from the company says pole-treating oil is a toxic mineral oil used to preserve wood products. It contains polycyclic aromatic compounds that can be cancerous after prolonged or repeated exposure to them.

"It's extremely scary that five days after this crash, they just now detect something highly solvent and toxic was released," said Doug Goss, speaking for a residents' group. August 9th, 2005 Edmonton Sun


Sierra Club calls for Wabamun charges An environmental group says Canadian National should be prosecuted for spills that have contaminated Alberta's Lake Wabamun and the Cheakamus River north of Vancouver.

The Sierra Club of Canada says spills from the two train derailments have been catastrophic for fish, birds and other aquatic life. August 9th, 2005 Edmonton Journal


CN rail derailment leaves line blocked It may be days before the wreckage of a train that derailed near Squamish this weekend is cleared.

CN says it has to wait for a toxic load of sodium hydroxide that was in one of the nine derailed cars to stabilize before it can be moved. Some of the corrosive liquid, commonly used in paper products and detergent, spilled into the Cheakamus River when part of the 144-car CN freight train derailed Friday. August 8th, 2005 Vancouver 24 hours


 Rail cars: Rolling targets Each year, about 1.7 million rail cars loaded with hazardous materials roll past small neighborhoods and major metropolitan areas.
A major spill in South Salt Lake earlier this year and other recent accidents highlight the risk posed by the chemical shipments, particularly in an age of heightened awareness of terrorist attacks - and have prompted mayors and some senators to demand action. August 7th, 2005 Salt Lake Tribune


Strength in numbers Another legislator and two conservation organizations have gotten involved in the battle to stop a railroad company from using transfer stations in North Bergen as dumping grounds for trash and other materials. United States Rep. Robert Menendez (D-13th Dist.) introduced federal legislation that will allow state and local officials to prevent railroads from operating garbage dumps that pose a serious threat to the air and water of the area. August 7th, 2005 Hudson Reporter


Albertans angered by CN oil spill response More than 100 angry protesters blocked a Canadian National railway crossing Friday to express their anger at what they called the company's poor response to a freight train derailment and oil spill on the lake where they live. Company officials also held a two-hour meeting with residents and protesters Friday after failing to show up to a scheduled meeting earlier in the day. August 6th, 2005 BLET


BNSF train derails in Boulder, Colorado A train hauling molten sulfur through east Boulder derailed Friday afternoon, backing up traffic for 2 1/2 hours after it blocked crossings at two major thoroughfares. August 6th, 2005 BLET


Lawsuit against Montana Rail Link Dismissed  Claims that a negligent inspection led to a November 2000 train derailment and extensive chemical spill in Scottsbluff were properly dismissed by a lower court, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday. August 3rd, 2005 Missoulian


More time sought for Graniteville claims Lawyer wants train wreck evacuees to have until Sept. 15 to file August 5th, 2005 The State


NS on track for upgrade  Norfolk Southern finally got its request: federal money to upgrade its main line to carry double-stacked freight containers between Roanoke and Columbus, Ohio. Congress last week appropriated $90 million for this project that encompasses Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio. Of that, $5 million is earmarked for Virginia. Congress last week appropriated $90 million for this project that encompasses Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio. Of that, $5 million is earmarked for Virginia. August 3rd, 2005  Roanoke Times


When Chemicals Attack  By Senator Joe Biden There's little doubt that if a nuclear or biological weapon were discovered in a crowded stadium or at a busy airport, the federal government would act swiftly and decisively to remove the threat, preserve

Quote of the week, Senator Joe Biden, August 3rd, 2005: The potential death toll of a tanker attack is staggering. The Chlorine Institute has estimated that an assault on a chlorine tanker could create a toxic cloud extending up to 15 miles.

 public calm and bring the guilty parties to justice. Yet, the Bush administration continues to turn a blind eye to a major threat that is comparable in scope: toxic chemicals carried by rail cars through densely populated cities and towns. August 2nd, 2005 Washington Post


City leaders hope coalition can influence railroad policies  Some South Carolina city government leaders are forming a coalition that they hope will force railroad companies to work more cooperatively with local communities.

"There's a real disconnect between local government and railroads," Orangeburg city administrator John Yow told a group of officials at a meeting of the Municipal Association of South Carolina last week.

That was highlighted after a train wreck earlier this year in Graniteville, Yow said. Nine people died on Jan. 6 when a Norfolk Southern train crashed into three parked cars, rupturing a tanker that released chlorine gas into the air.
July 31st, 2005, Dateline Alabama


 $2.5M fine for chemicals near tracks Acting Gov. Richard Codey wasted little time in lowering the boom on a railroad company that allegedly allowed toxic chemicals to be temporarily stored on its property.

Just two days after launching "Operation Safety Net" to monitor unregulated solid waste transfer sites along federally-protected railway lines, Codey announced that the state Department of Environmental Protection levied a fine of $2.5 million against the New York Susquehanna & Western (NYS&W) railroad. July 31st, 2005 Hudson Reporter


Railroads just dump on their neighbors  George Parisek wonders what's in the dust clouds that spew from the giant trash heap near his home in North Bergen, New Jersey. "There are times it looks like a fire, there's so much dust," says Parisek, a retired mechanic. "I grow tomatoes and peppers, and this stuff is all over them. This drives me crazy."  He and the neighbors constantly hose down their houses, their cars and their gardens to wash away the grime. July 27th, 2005 NJ.com


Railroad, EPA wrap up toxic spill probe Charges possible: Prosecutors will meet today with emergency agencies to discuss criminal prosecution in the accident in S. Salt Lake Kennecott Utah Copper, Union Pacific and waste-disposal company Philip Services may face criminal charges and civil penalties for their role in a March tanker car spill in South Salt Lake that sent 6,000 residents packing and racked up more than $500,000 in clean-up and emergency response costs. July 27th, 2005 Salt Lake Tribune


Norfolk Southern Reports Record Quarter “Norfolk Southern’s exceptional second-quarter and first-half performance were driven by strong revenue improvement, a better operating ratio and sound rail operations, which allow us to provide good returns for our shareholders,” said David R. Goode, chairman and chief executive officer. “This was a great quarter for the company as we set a number of financial records. We recorded the highest railway operating revenues in our history. We posted our best ever income from railway operations, exceeding the half billion dollar mark for the first time in any quarter. And we continue to improve our margins, posting a significantly better quarterly operating ratio.” July 27th, 2005 Norfolk Southern


Hattiesburg, Mississippi: Train cars derail; no leaks Officials said the Kansas City Southern Railroad had a derailment of possibly two chlorine cars just south of Hattiesburg, between Maxie and Brooklyn.

No leaks or injuries were reported, and only minor damage. A reporter said the cars did not overturn, nor did they detach from the rest of the train. July 26th, 2005 Sun Herald


Burlington Northern Quarterly Profits Soar  Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., the nation's second-largest railroad operator, said Tuesday its second-quarter profit increased 47 percent as freight revenue climbed 15 percent to a record $3.04 billion.

Net income grew to $366 million, or 96 cents per share, from $249 million, or 67 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter. Operating income rose to $710 million from $508 million last year.
BLET


Train Derails, Spills Toxic Chemicals A Union Pacific train carrying fertilizer and sulfuric acid derailed , spilling 100 gallons of the toxic chemical.

The derailment happened just before midnight Wednesday north of El Centro. Eight cars derailed, with four landing on their sides, according to a spokesman for Union Pacific. July 23rd, 2005 NBC San Diego.com
Train derails downtown Abilene, Texas: One overturned car contained flammable ethylene; streets closed all day  Abilene emergency crews, including a hazmat team, responded to a low-speed train derailment near Frontier Texas! on South 1st Street and Cherry Street just after 6 a.m. Tuesday. The derailment occurred just after 3 a.m. Railroad officials initially assessed the derailment and then notified emergency response crews. July 27th, 2005 Reporter-news.com

UP hauls in 47 percent income gains Union Pacific Corp. posted a 47 percent gain in

Quote of the week: "Of the more than 80,000 chemicals that have been in commercial use since World War II, just five types are regulated: PCB's, halogenated chlorofluoroalkanes, dioxin, asbestos and hexavalent chromium." July 24th, 2005 Amy Cortese, New York Times

 net income for the second quarter over the same period in 2004. July 20th, 2005 BLET


Canadian National's net rises 28% on rates, shipments Canadian National Railway Co., which leads North America's railroads in profit margin, said second- quarter earnings rose 28 percent as rates and shipments increased. The company boosted its 2005 profit forecast, and the shares gained 6.7 percent, the most in five years. July 20th, 2005 BLET



 Explosive chemicals in rail yard called recipe for disaster  State and local officials swooped down on a rail yard in North Bergen yesterday, hoping to find out why thousands of pounds of an explosive chemical was being stored at the site with apparently no security.

But instead of getting answers, investigators were asking more questions after they forced the company to open two locked rail cars and found they were filled with chlorine.

Investigators then requested the company's manifest -- a record of shipments and departures -- but apparently no such book exists, local officials said. July 15th, 2005 BLET


D.C. council 'justified' to ban rail hazmat D.C. officials are citing last week's transit-system bombings in London to bolster their call for a ban on trains carrying hazardous materials through the District. July 12th, 2005 Washington Times


Millions go unspent for rail security As Congress considers spending more on rail security, records show that the Homeland Security Department has spent less than 7 percent of the $10 million it received this year to inspect and patrol rail lines. July 12th, 2005 BLET


Terrified residents suffered under toxic haze after crash It came in a white cloud in the middle of the night, engulfing trees and houses, whole neighborhoods. Some

Quote of the week, July 11th, 2005, Sandra Thompson, "We thought at first it was chemical warfare...It was like a nightmare. I will never forget it."
 families woke to the sound of a crash, others to the piercing smell of ammonia seeping through windows, furnaces and chimneys. A train derailed in January 2002 just outside of Minot, spilling the largest amount of anhydrous ammonia in history. With Minot Air Force Base nearby, and coming so soon after Sept. 11, many thought it was a chemical attack. "We thought at first it was chemical warfare, that something had been released because of the Air Force base," said Sandra Thompson, who woke up to the sound of the crash. "It was like a nightmare. I will never forget it." July 11th, St Cloud Times


Derailments: Lawmakers grapple with safety concerns Federal lawmakers this year are proposing ways to protect the nation from deadly hazardous material spills. They want better inspections, more information provided to emergency responders, and the ability to reroute shipments away from the U.S. Capitol building and "high threat" corridors. July 11th, St. Cloud Times


Derailments: Perham struggles to shake effects of string of bad luck Follow U.S. Highway 10 north from St. Cloud, and you also will be following the nearby railroad tracks to a small town with bad luck. Residents of this 2,600-person town have seen three derailments in a dozen years. Two crashed in the city's downtown area and hit three buildings. July 10th St. Cloud


Derailments: Alleys of danger slice through St. Cloud area  Nichole Hennen has nightmares about the trains that rumble past her back yard 50 or 60 times a day. When a train derailed a few blocks from her house in December, Hennen's nightmare became a real possibility. It was one of three BNSF Railway derailments that occurred less than 9 miles apart and within two months. July 9th, 2005 St. Cloud Times


Quote of the week for July 9th, 2005, Lamar Ledford,  "If I don't make it, please tell my mamma I love her."

Dramatic DVD of Graniteville train wreck becomes training tool  "If I don't make it, please tell Momma I love her." Lamar Ledford on a 911 call after a train crashed into parked railroad cars and released a toxic chlorine cloud. Ledford survived, but six of his co-workers at the Graniteville plant were among those killed in the deadliest train wreck involving hazardous materials in nearly three decades. The call has been preserved on a DVD made by a member of the Aiken County Hazmat team that is part documentary, part cautionary tale of what not to do as a first responder. July 9th, 2005 Dateline Alabama.com


Rail Security Sidelined  More than a year since declaring the deadly Madrid train bombings a "wake-up call' about the need for tighter rail security in the U.S., Congress has failed to pass far-reaching legislation safeguarding the nation's bus, train and subway systems.

Among the stymied measures was a $1.1 billion plan sponsored by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to protect the railroads running through Los Angeles and other urban centers. His bill, which passed the Senate but stalled in the House, also would have required the Department of Homeland Security to develop a plan to improve rail security nationally. July 8th, BLET


Tax credits enable MRL rail fixes  The Montana Rail Link crews replacing 6.3 miles of track between Billings and Laurel this week were joined Thursday by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont. The $3.8 million project is funded by federal tax credits made possible with the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, which passed in October. Baucus said he pushed to add the tax credit to the act after MRL administrators said they needed to upgrade their lines to be competitive. July 8th, 2005 Billings Gazette


How Safe Are Our Railways. Mass transit advocates said Thursday that they hope the London bombings will prod Congress to increase financial support for American rail security, which has been dwarfed by federal funding for aviation security. The House has failed to act on legislation approved by the Senate to pump substantially more money into rail-security programs. July 7th Houston Chronicle


Train Derailments an Issue in Three South Texas Counties  More could be done to prevent derailments, Briggs, who serves as the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers' Texas legislative chairman, said. July 7th, 2005 Red Nova. com

Report hails wreck response Communication problems criticized The first firefighters who sped toward the Graniteville train-crash site Jan. 6 were hit with dense clouds of chlorine but spared their comrades from a similar fate by alerting them to the danger, according to a report obtained Tuesday.

The "after action" critique of the Graniteville-Vaucluse-Warrenville Volunteer Fire Department's response to the train collision and gas leak applauded the agency's first responders for their heroics. July 6, 2005 Augusta Chronicle


Report: Graniteville fire department response good, could improve The fire department here needs better coordination with law enforcement agencies during a disaster, according to a response review nearly six months after the deadliest train wreck involving hazardous material in nearly three decades. The report on emergency personnel hasn't been made public. Aiken County Administrator Clay Killian said he hadn't received it and would provide copies to the Aiken County Council before releasing the finding. July 6th, 2005 Associated Press


Quote of the week, July 3rd, 2005, by Thomas H. Kean, chairman of the Sept. 11 commission and a former Republican governor of New Jersey,  "We're better off with openness. The best ally we have in protecting ourselves against terrorism is an informed public."

Washington's Deadly Bridge  The weakest point in America's defense against terrorism may be an inconspicuous little bridge a few blocks from the Capitol. Rail tanker cars filled with deadly chemicals pass over the bridge, at Second Street and E Street SW, on their journeys up and down the East Coast. The bridge is highly vulnerable to an explosion from below, and if deadly chemicals were released on it, they would endanger every member of congress. July 5th, 2005 New York Times


'It's a tragedy waiting to happen'  With few laws governing safety, homes planned near tracks worry some - `Part two in a four-part series' -  Increased urbanization in California, along with increasing demand for rail traffic, has led to the escalation of a longstanding conflict between communities and railroads. ``Right now the states are pretty much federally pre-empted, and that really doesn't do any good,'' Berdge said. July 5th, Inside the Bay Area


Courts rarely hold railroads responsible for deaths, injuries  "(Railroad companies) are powerful and resourceful with large law firms on their continuous payroll,'' said Andrew Jakes of San Jose, a transportation consultant who has served as an expert witness on both sides of these emotionally charged lawsuits. ``Many go to trial rather than settle, because they don't want to set any precedent.'' July 5th, Inside the Bay Area


 

 

 

Graniteville Health Effects Survey Coughing, burning eyes and shortness of breath were the most common symptoms people who were exposed to chlorine gas in Graniteville reported immediately after the Jan. 6 incident, according to early results from an ongoing study of some victims.  July 1st Augusta Chronicle    

 


 

 

 


Alabama train derailment prompts evacuation. The train, operated by Three Notch Railroad, derailed in a curve where numerous derailments have occurred, and had four total cars fall off the tracks and onto their side. Three of the cars were carrying approximately 35,000 gallons of chemicals -- methanol and phenol, with a fourth dry car carrying urea, a powdery resin substance. Phenol and methanol are flammable, and could emit a noxious cloud if an outside force causes a chemical reaction to take place. July 1st, 2005 Andalusia Star News


Photo: Jeffery L. Biggs/Star-News  A BNSF Railway tie gang stack ties beside the track in Chinook on Tuesday afternoon. BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas said the gang is one of four working on the Hi-Line during a track maintenance project between Havre and Malta

Railroad does major maintenance  The rails east of Havre Montana are getting an upgrade as part of a large, $15 million maintenance project. BNSF Railway workers are using high-tech equipment to replace 82,000 wooden rail ties and 15 miles of rail. July 1st, 2005 Havre Daily News


Chicago warned of cargo hazards An environmental activist told aldermen Monday that a terrorist act on a single rail car carrying chlorine near downtown Chicago could wreck havoc on the city, creating a toxic cloud from which thousands of people could not hide or flee fast enough to escape harm.

Tank cars are not built to withstand an explosive charge, and "we are offering targets to terrorists that are easily accessible," said Fred Millar, who noted that graffiti by vandals illustrates how cars can be reached by people unauthorized to be near them.
June 28th, 2005, BLET


Expert: Reroute dangerous cargo Hazardous material shipments so vulnerable to terrorists they're the equivalent of weapons of mass destruction must be rerouted around Chicago to avoid placing tens of thousands of lives at risk, a safety expert warned aldermen Monday. June 28th, 2005 BLET


An Insecure Nation, Corporate Profit vs. Public Safety One of the first steps any sane person would take to guard against terrorism is to stop rail tankers filled with deadly chemicals from passing within a few blocks of the Capitol. If a rail tanker was attacked in downtown Washington, it could put every member of Congress - and much of the rest of the city - at risk of instant death. But the railroad industry, concerned with saving money, has blocked reasonable rules for the transport of extremely hazardous materials. Senator Joseph Biden, Democrat of Delaware, has just introduced a bill to fix this disturbing hole in our national defense. Every member of the Senate and House should be supporting it. June 22nd, 2005 New York Times

 

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