NORTHWEST
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
East Oregonian
Page 7A
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BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) —
Slow progress has been made on
efforts to upgrade or replace tens of
thousands of rupture-prone rail cars
used to transport oil and ethanol,
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that prompted new rules for the
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Tuesday.
Just over 10,300 stronger tank
cars mandated by the new rules are
available for service, according to
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Press from the Association of
American Railroads.
That’s equivalent to roughly 20
percent of the 51,500 tank cars used
to haul crude and ethanol during
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Fiery accidents and spills
involving the older, rupture-prone
cars have occurred in Oregon,
Montana, North Dakota, Illinois,
West Virginia and Canada.
In Lac-Megantic, Quebec, 47
people were killed when a runaway
oil train derailed in 2013. During
the most recent accident last month
in Oregon, 42,000 gallons of crude
oil spilled, sparking a massive
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the small town of Mosier in the
Columbia River Gorge.
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and oil industry representatives
have touted the new rules as a key
piece of their efforts to prevent
more accidents.
Yet National Transportation
Safety Board member Robert
Sumwalt told the AP on Tuesday
that federal regulators need to set
milestones to hold the industry
accountable for getting unsafe cars
off the tracks.
“There’s been 28 accidents over
the past 10 years. That’s almost
three accidents a year,” Sumwalt
said. “Unfortunately, history shows
we probably will have more acci-
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The accident-prone cars do
not have to be fully replaced until
2029, although most would have to
come off the tracks sooner.
Without mandatory, periodic
benchmarks for meeting the
requirement, the decision to
upgrade their cars during the next
several years. Communities such
as Mosier — scene of one train
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— Robert Sumwalt, NTSB member that companies are using the safest
tank cars possible, he said.
upgrade to safer tank car designs planned in Washington, D.C.,
The railroad association said
³LV OHIW HQWLUHO\ WR WDQN FDU ÀHHW where government and industry only 700 of the least resilient
owners, and may be driven by RI¿FLDOV ZHUH VHW WR XSGDWH WKH model of the older-style tank cars
PDUNHWIDFWRULQÀXHQFHVQRWVDIHW\ safety board on progress addressing remain in service. Most of the cars
improvements,” NTSB Chairman the issue.
in current use have at least some
Christopher Hart said in a letter
Tom Simpson with the improvements, such as shields at
Tuesday to the U.S. Department Railway Supply Institute, which either end of the car to help prevent
of Transportation’s Pipeline and represents tank car manufacturers punctures during derailments.
Hazardous
Materials
Safety and owners, said the industry is
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Administration.
committed to putting stronger cars cautioned, however, that thousands
Transportation
Department in place. Members of the group of idled “legacy cars” could quickly
Press Secretary Clark Pettig said will meet deadlines for replacing or come back online if oil prices rise
in response that the schedule to upgrading the cars, he said.
and shipment volumes rebound.
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Demand for rail cars has eased
Most tank cars are owned or
Congress in a transportation bill as crude shipments decreased with leased by companies that ship fuel
approved last year. The Congres- lower oil prices, Simpson said.
by rail, not the railroads themselves.
sional deadline represents “the
“The need to modify or install Railroad association spokesman Ed
absolute last moment” to meet the new cars isn’t as urgent as when the Greenberg declined comment on
new standards, he said.
rule was issued,” he said.
the progress being made toward
“We agree with NTSB that
A bill from U.S. Sen. Ron replacing older cars.
industry should work to beat those Wyden of Oregon and other
“Every tank car carrying crude
deadlines,” Pettig added.
Democratic lawmakers would or ethanol needs to be upgraded or
A Wednesday meeting was offer tax credits for companies that replaced,” he said.
“History shows we probably will have more
accidents involving flammable liquids.”
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