Friday the 13th conference explores oil train fears

Oil trains are an esoteric topic, but that does not mean they do not pose a significant threat to our safety and the environment. A frightening topic and only appropriate that the "Oil Trains 2015: Community Risks & Solutions Conference" was on Friday the 13th of November. It was also appropriate that the conference was held in Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh, specifically), considering that 1.5 million Pennsylvanians live within a half-mile of tracks that carry crude oil, with most of these people living in environmental justice communities, according to this PublicSource article quoting PennFuture policy director, Matt Stepp. 

So why is this conference important? Why should Pennsylvanians worry about oil trains? 

Well, there are many reasons. For residents of western Pennsylvania, there's the significant issue of crumbling infrastructure. Built in 1904, the Fort Wayne Railroad Bridge connects the north shore of the city to the heart of downtown Pittsburgh above the Allegheny River. Rob Walters of Three Rivers Waterkeeper points out that there is decaying and cracked concrete with exposed rebar on each of the piers that fasten the bridge to the riverbed along with widespread rust and holes throughout the underside of the bridge. Aging infrastructure such as rail lines and bridges are cause for concern, but when the cargo is crude oil, the risks are greater. If a train carrying crude oil derailed on this bridge, the resulting explosion would have a catastrophic impact on the environment and the 130,000 people who live and work within the half-mile evacuation zone of the bridge. 

As one can see, aging infrastructure combined with the inherent risks of oil trains can have devastating consequences such as those from the deadly Lac-Mégantic derailment disaster in 2013. Under the Rail Safety Improvement Act and subsequent regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the federal government yields authority for bridge inspection and oversight to the owners of the bridges. However, the federal guidelines provide no minimum design standards for bridge construction for the owners to follow. In addition, the “competent persons” evaluating the bridges and developing bridge management plans for railroads are not required to have minimum qualifications such as an engineering degree, and federal officials do not need to be informed when railroads conduct bridge inspections and find safety issues. 

Not only do oil trains pose threats to our environment, but the proximity of crude oil trains to schools also pose substantial health risks to individuals in nearby communities due to emissions of fine particulate matter. According to Healthy Schools Pennsylvania, there are 316 schools in southwestern Pennsylvania within a one-mile radius of an active rail line. Alternatively, 81 school districts in the region have an active rail line within a one-mile radius of at least one school in that district. Crude oil trains vent carcinogens and other toxic gases into the atmosphere, but the new federal requirements announced in May 2015 do nothing to address this threat to public health.

Other regions in Pennsylvania are just as susceptible to these dangers, particularly southeast Pennsylvania. For instance, Philadelphia Energy Solutions is the nation’s largest consumer of fracked oil from North Dakota’s Bakken shale, with about 60 to 70 oil trains crossing Pennsylvania to deliver crude oil to refineries around Philadelphia each week. Crude oil trains pose a risk to the water supply in Philadelphia along the Schuylkill River. They also travel within close range of the Limerick Nuclear Power Plant, where a spill could threaten cooling water intake.

So is Pennsylvania doing anything about this? 
Some progress has been made, but more is needed. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey is asking two freight railroad companies, CSX and Norfolk Southern, to reduce speeds to 35 m.p.h. for oil trains traveling through major urban cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Gov. Tom Wolf commissioned Allan M. Zarembski, a University of Delaware expert, to explore responses to a massive increase in oil train traffic and to assess ways to lower risks of derailments. He acknowledged that the state has limited leverage over federally regulated railroads but is seeking ways to reduce the risks. 

The Heinz Endowments, ForestEthics, and FracTracker Alliance convened this conference and training for environmental groups across the nation to come together to discuss how oil trains affect their communities. Discussions focused on how we can build a network to help make this issue a priority for Pennsylvanians as well as other states. Regulatory and oversight efforts at the state and federal level are important, but we must all be aware of the trains, their risks, and factors like inspections, infrastructure, and proximity to densely populated areas including schools. We must also ask how communities are to be protected and hold officials accountable. 

If you are interested in hearing more about the speakers from the conference, videos are now available on YouTube.

Annie Regan is western Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Pittsburgh. She tweets @MsAnnieRegan.