By Dave Fehling, Houston Public Media News via Audio Texas
Last month, two freight trains collided head-on and erupted in flames near Amarillo. And this month is the anniversary of a far worse train catastrophe in Canada. The accidents are why some community groups say more needs to be done in Houston to make railways safer, especially when it comes to the transport of one product in particular: crude oil.
Three years ago this month, a train carrying crude oil blew up in a small town in Canada…killing 47 people. Home video showed huge fireballs erupting from a string of tank cars.
“oh my god”
In Houston, it’s understandable why some people along train routes leading to the refineries and terminals here might be worried.
“And I just do not currently feel safe “
Leticia Ablaza has a son goes to a school that sits near a big set of railroad tracks on the eastern edge of downtown Houston.
“And I certainly don’t feel safe that it’s passing right behind my child’s school while school is in session.”
“let me just say good evening to everyone…”
Ablaza works with the environmental group Air Alliance Houston and was among a handful of community organizers who met one night last week
Brian Butler is with the Alliance.
“I firmly believe we’ve been lucky to date and I’m worried our luck is soon going to run out.”
Houston has not had a serious crude-by-rail accident since the boom in oil production began in the U.S. a few years ago. Four years ago, 12 million barrels of crude a month was flowing by rail to refineries and terminals along the Gulf Coast. The crude-by-rail was largely from North Dakota, and it was a type of crude known for being light and therefore more volatile than other oils. That caught the attention of a US senate committee last year that wanted to know if the light crude might explode more easily and should therefore more strictly regulated. The committee heard from Sara Feinberg, the head of the Federal Railroad Administration.
“If the studies that are being done by the Department of Energy suggest that we need to address volatility before it’s placed into transport, we should do that.”
Those studies on-going and won’t be complete for another year. In the meantime, the Railroad Administration has issued new rules for oil trains, requiring new, stronger tank cars, better brakes, slower speeds, and better coordination with local emergency officials as to what routes the trains will take. Ed Greenberg is a spokesperson for the Association of American Railroads.
“there have been some high-profile instances that have overshadowed thousands of trains safely move across without any incident. We want to assure residences that we are continuously looking at ways to improve rail safety.”
But here’s something else we learned. Remember how we said that four years ago, some 12 million barrels of crude-by-rail a month was heading to the Gulf Coast? That amount began plummeting starting in 2014. And instead of 12 million, there’s now less than two million barrels a month arriving here by rail. Why the huge drop?
“Basically what’s happened in the meantime is pipelines have been built, and they represent a much better economic alternative to move crude oil.”
Sandy Fielden directs energy research at the firm Morningstar. He says oil had to be moved by rail because there weren’t enough existing pipelines from North Dakota and other producing states north and west of Texas. Now there are with more nearing completion.
“And many of those pipelines for example next year will provide direct roots from North Dakota to the Gulf Coast which will effectively remove any need to move that crude oil by rail.”
So, problem solved? Not at all says Brian Butler with Air Alliance Houston.
“it only takes one train”
And if just one train carrying crude or any other dangerous cargo does have an accident near a neighborhood or schoool, Stephanie Thomas with the group Public Citizen said residents need a better way to be warned.
“What we are proposing and putting a lot of energy behind is a system that is sort of like an amber alert system so people can be notified electronically when something happens.”
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