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North Dakota town evacuated after BNSF oil train explodes
Jeff Shramm hits the nail on the head.
BNSF will sort it out.
Carrying Bakken crude in traditional tank cars is a recipe for disaster. Use the existing tank cars for that tar sands sludge and get the new ones on line ASAP for Bakken oil. It is too volatile and needs to be treated like gasoline or propane.
Rob Murdock: And how many of those truck wrecks are hazmat? Once that is established, how many of those hazmat loads are blowing up? My point is so far the railroads are blowing up 100% of all oil train wrecks while the other modes of transportation have a very low percentage blowing up. The railroad industry needs to come up with a better tank car before big socialist government imposes one that forces a solution which is worse than the current problem. A good place to start is a multi-walled tank with the space between the walls filled with a non-flammable material which will absorb impact, thus protecting the tank contents. Of course the tank walls will have to be constructed of a type of steel that flexes instead of ripping and tearing at impact. Not all steel is created equal.
So, one train derailed while passing another?
Most likely was caused by the temp at the time.it was-15 or so.rails and running gear gets brittle.my bet is a broken rail
Looking at google maps there is a spur line that runs up towards devils lake at the derailment area.
The industry needs to address the causes of these accidents quickly or they will lose the oil business. A recent “Trains” article indicated that rail transport is safer than pipelines, but a few high-profile accidents will sway opinions more than statistics.
The industry needs to address the causes of these accidents quickly or they will lose the oil business. A recent “Trains” article indicated that rail transport is safer than pipelines, but a few high-profile accidents will sway opinions more than statistics.
If this had happen in the near by small town it would have been another heavy death toll
The railroads have got to speed up the transition to new tanker cars if they are going to keep their hand in the oil business. Sounds like new operating procedures are in order too, like other trains standing still as they pass by unless the tracks are located far enough apart that a car derailing on the other track will not hit them. Since the engines did not derail is sounds like a car problem at first glance.
This cannot be good for the future transportation of oil by rail.
While better built tank cars will help hit anything hard enough and it will break. BNSF trains seldom reduce speed crossing my city. I drive a fuel tanker and know about placarding. The N Dakota crude seems very explosive and may be placarded wrong allowing use of the older cars. Shame we have a rich oil supply in our boarders and have issues transporting.
99.997% of hazmat rail shipments reach their destinations without incident, and that’s taken right from an AAR statement. I don’t know the rates on trucking or barge traffic, but I see truck wrecks weekly in my commute.
There seems to be something with the Bakken Oil that makes it more dangerous and easy to explode.
I did a quick search on bing.com using “gas tanker fire” and “tanker truck fire” for searching and came up with the following truck accidents where the tank either exploded or leaking product caught fire in 2013.
2/12 Annapolis, MD, gasoline
2/13 Housick, Ny, gasoline
5/30 West Chester Towship Pa, gasoline
7/13 Los Angles, CA, gasoline
8/28 Fort Worth, Tx, gasoline
9/1 Escalon, CA, gasoline, truck driver died
10/27 Commerce, CA, oil
12/18 Long Island, NY, gasoline
I suspect a more detailed search looking for chemicals as well would turn up a few more.
Somewhere it was reported that Bakken is more volatile than other crude making it more hazardous. It will also be interesting as to the condition of the track. Was it Class one or class five. Seems to me to move that stuff you should have a very good roadbed and excellent communications.
I would challenge anyone to show or provide a 100% safe method of transport for any hazardous material that could be put into service tomorrow. We have many people that would stop any and all energy development in the USA and this type of accident feeds their cause. I noticed there was no news coverage about the oil trains that made their trips without incident.
For once, I agree wholeheartedly w Mr. Guse. The people who ship the oil should be the ones to solve this problem.