"US Government Fails To Track Toxic Spills In Nation’s Waterways"

The National Response Center, run by the Coast Guard, takes reports of toxic spills and is supposed to keep a database on spill incidents. But a new study shows that it does nothing of the sort -- putting the public at risk by keeping them in the dark.

"DUNSMUIR, Calif. – Every 20 minutes, a train hurtles over the Sacramento River, through the Cantara Loop. And half a continent away, at nearly the same frequency, a train crosses the Mississippi River.

Train cars can carry toxic chemicals or crude oil, but the public rarely knows what’s inside. Dangerous materials are routinely, and quietly, routed over waterways and through communities.

On the evening of July 14, 1991, one train broke the peace in the small town of Dunsmuir.

Naomi Croft remembers the incident well. She heard a loud crash and “all of a sudden, it turned green outside.”"

Theresa E. Soley reports for Reveal February 6, 2017.