NEWS

DOT wants to phase out older oil rail cars

Brian Tumulty and Khurram Saeed
btumulty@gannett.com

WASHINGTON – Older railroad tank cars carrying explosive Bakken crude oil or ethanol would be phased out over the next two years under a proposed regulation announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

A CSX locomotive pulling tanker cars used for crude oil passes through Haverstraw Jan. 30,2014. (  Seth Harrison / The Journal News )

Anywhere from 15 to 30 oil trains, each carrying at least 1 million gallons of Bakken crude oil, pass through parts of the Hudson Valley each week, including four of Rockland's five towns. The trains travel on the CSX River Line as they head south from Albany to refineries in New Jersey and elsewhere.

The DOT-111 tank cars, which are shaped like soup cans, have a history of being vulnerable to ruptures following collisions or derailments. They have been the target of lawmakers and first responders who said that getting rid of the older tankers would go a long way toward improving overall safety.

The Transportation Department on Wednesday outlined three proposals for a new generation of tank cars, which Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said might have "thicker, more puncture-resistant shells and other safety features like enhanced braking and rollover protection."

"This is a move in the right direction, especially in light of what's been taking place locally and around the country where you're getting more trains and longer trains," said Gordon Wren Jr., Rockland director of fire and emergency services.

Last December, a train moving 99 empty oil tank cars — each large enough to carry about 30,000 gallons — hit a car carrier in West Nyack but did not derail.

As a result, the Rockland Sheriff's Department conducted speed checks on trains on the River Line. They found the trains traveled at an average of 26.5 mph, well below the line's 50 mph speed limit.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he was "encouraged" that federal action "reflects a number of the concerns raised by New York state."

Foxx indicated that oil and gas companies operating Bakken Shale Formation's drilling sites in North Dakota don't have refineries in place that are capable of reducing the volatility of the crude oil. His department has confirmed that volatility through a series of recent tests dubbed Operation Classification.

Under order by Foxx, freight railroads last month began telling officials in each state how many oil trains travel through their areas each week and their routes on the way to coastal refineries.

Members of Congress have expressed concern about the safety of local communities along the route in light of several accidents that have involved fiery tanker car explosions, including one two months ago in downtown Lynchburg, Virginia. One accident in Canada a year ago killed 47 people.

Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York praised DOT's announcement, describing the proposed regulations as "desperately needed." And Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., called the proposal "a common-sense approach."

But another New York Democrat, Rep. Nita Lowey, expressed disappointment the proposal doesn't include comprehensive plans for responding to an oil spill caused by a ruptured tanker.

"Preparation for a worst-case scenario must be one of the department's top priorities," she said.

The environmental group Riverkeeper criticized the DOT for failing to take immediate steps to reduce the risks that the DOT-111 cars pose and called on Foxx to issue an emergency order banning the use of the tankers to carry crude oil.

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