Railroads Won't Disclose Where — and When — 'Bomb Trains' Are Traveling

"The US Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has doubled down on a demand that railroads notify state officials when large shipments of crude oil move through their towns, even as two of the largest rail companies fight in court to keep some of the information hidden from the public.

The demand is a reversal from a May FRA declaration that railroad companies would no longer have to provide certain information about crude oil shipments starting in 2016. Because of an emergency order issued last year, railroad companies must currently inform state emergency responders where and how often trains loaded with crude oil from North Dakota's Bakken shale formation are moving through their states. The emergency order mandating this information sharing would have ended under the FRA's new regulations.

The emergency order was originally inspired by heightened derailments of crude-loaded trains, which some have dubbed "bomb trains" because they often explode after a derailment. There have been six major incidents this year, including one last week in Culbertson, Montana, resulting in a 35,000-gallon spill. All except the most recent derailment resulted in fires or explosions."

Aaron Cantú reports for Vice News July 24, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"Aging Infrastructure Plagues Nation’s Busiest Rail Corridor" (New York Times)

"California Oil Train Risks Worse in Minority Areas -Report" (Reuters: 6/30/2015)

"Feds Warn Railroads To Comply With Oil Train Notification Requirement" (McClatchy)

"Transport Company Updates Public on West Virginia Oil Train Crash Cleanup" (Insurance Journal)

"Crude Oil Spill Disaster Classes Offered As Communities See Increased Oil Train Use" (KPLU Seattle)

Opinion: "Oil Trains Pose Unacceptable Health and Safety Risks" (Santa Barbara Independent)

"Feds: States Must Be Told of Oil Train Shipments" (Philadelphia Inquirer)

"Local Officials Need To Plan for Oil Train Danger" (Bozeman Daily Chronicle)

"Oil Train Counts Trend Upward in Clark County" (Columbian)

"Seattle Steps Up Complaints About Oil Trains" (Crosscut)

"Train Derailment Spills 35,000 Gallons of Oil in Montana" (The Hill)

"Vancouver Oil Terminal Sparks Controversy, Concerns For Community" (KUOW Seattle)