The New Jersey senate recently passed a bill that would require the owners or operators of crude oil trains to develop plans of actions to deal with spills or the consequences of a derailment or crash.
Trains hauling dozens of black tank cars filled with highly volatile crude oil go rumbling through New Jersey neighborhoods at all hours of the day.
And unless you are one of the unfortunate people stuck at a railroad crossing as one of these lengthy trains pass, you would have no idea of the destructive potential rolling through such a densely-populated state.
Just how destructive these traveling "bombs" can be was illustrated by the 2013 derailment of a 72-car oil train in the Quebec town of Lac-Megantic. It caused a horrific explosion and fire that killed 47 people and destroyed about 40 buildings.
That train, like so many crisscrossing New Jersey and the country, was carrying a particularly volatile form of petroleum from North Dakota's Bakken oil fields.
According to the Associated Press, there have been at least 26 oil trains involved in major fires or derailments during the last decade in the United States and Canada, including one in Oregon in June. At least 12 of the oil trains were carrying Bakken crude, and of those, eight caught fire.
Is N.J. ready if an oil train disaster strikes?
It is estimated that up to 30 trains a week transport crude oil through New Jersey, going through communities like West Trenton, Somerville, Newark and Camden.
Mindful of the potential catastrophe these trains pose, the state Senate last month passed a bill (S806) that would require the owners or operators of these highly-hazardous trains to develop plans of actions to deal with spills or the consequences of a derailment or crash. These plans must be filed with the state Department of Environmental Protection for review and approval.
The bill also requires train operators and owners to prove that they have the financial resources to cover cleanup costs and mandates that they make available trained personnel and equipment in case of a spill.
Just as important, the bill mandates that hazardous train operators and owners must offer training to emergency services personnel of every local unit along the route of travel. Some operators offer training on a county level, but local responders need to be included as well, since they will be the first on the scene.
But for the average concerned citizen, a key part of the bill would require the operators and owners of trains carrying volatile crude oil to make the routes public, something New Jersey has been reluctant to do, citing security reasons.
But other states, such as New York, make that information available to the public.
Here is a situation where the public's right to know outweighs security concerns.
With prodding from the federal government, railroad operators are now phasing in newer tank cars that have a thick metal plate on the ends to prevent the ends of the rail car from being punctured in a derailment.
Crude oil trains also must travel at reduced speeds to minimize the risk of a derailment.
N.J. takes steps to prepare for crude oil rail disaster
But one glaring safety issue that is not being addressed is the volatile nature of the crude oil itself. Bakken crude is a highly combustible mix of natural gases including butane, methane and propane.
North Dakota requires that the volatility of the gas and oil vapors be reduced to below 13.7 pounds per square inch at the wellhead, but critics say even at that level it is too dangerous to ship.
That safety problem needs to be addressed on the federal level as soon as possible.
But for New Jersey, recently passed Senate bill S806 goes a long way to ensuring contingency plans are in place for dealing with a dangerous oil spill and letting the public know who is at risk.
Its companion Assembly bill (A2463) is still in committee. We urge the Assembly to approve the legislation and we urge the governor to sign it.
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