The Rail Industry Learned Nothing from Lac-Mégantic, But US Residents Have
In response to Metra's recently filed objections to the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern rail merger, the Lake County Board stepped up by adopting a resolution in line with Metra's opposition. La Coalition Rail Safety Campaign members agree that a merger would not serve our communities' best interests.
Among many persuasive arguments brought to light in Metra's Surface Transportation Board filing, Canadian Pacific projects a 380% increase in rail freight traffic. Metra contends that Canadian Pacific undercounted by an additional 500%, suggesting an actual 880% increase further obstructing its commuter rail services.
Metra claims Canadian Pacific runs trains that are "exceptionally long." Their filing indicates trains are regularly over two miles in length, sometimes over two and a half miles. Federal law allows the industry to conduct freight train operations using just a single engineer.
Another bid considered for merger was offered by Canadian National. A Lake County board member confirms that Canadian National now rolls two-mile long trains through our communities. If the Coalition to Stop CPKC is successful in blocking a merger with Canadian Pacific, as we hope they are, it appears Canadian National's bid may ultimately win. By default, Lake County can expect Elgin's 880% climb in rail traffic and even longer trains. This is absurd.
Lake County residents complain their homes already vibrate to the point they're repeatedly woken from a sound night's sleep when trains pass. Vibrations, over time, can loosen pipelines at connections, causing gas leaks. Residents along the EJ&E who depend on well water fear a derailment of hazardous substances or leak from a ruptured pipeline will compromise their only source of drinking water.
Some Lake County communities have no fire hydrants. Mosier Fire Chief Jim Appleton, first on scene fighting the fiery Oregon oil train derailment, indicates the most important thing needed to combat such an incident is water access. Foam doesn't work because the resulting fire is too hot, and foam will dissipate unless tankers are first cooled with water. Residents living where access to water is unavailable for firefighters must wait until it is transported to the scene, provided they survive the potential atomic bomb-sized explosion.
Residents along rail corridors where cargo can include any of nearly 400 hazardous substances assume all of the risks and receive absolutely no benefit. Not to mention, much of our natural resources, specifically our nonrenewable resources, are shipped outside of the U.S. while citizens pay nearly $5 a gallon to purchase gas from other countries. The U.S. holds as much natural gas as two Saudi Arabias put together would have crude oil, so this just doesn't make sense.
La Coalition members are working to pass legislation that includes school personnel in emergency response plans specific to the transport and storage of hazardous substances. Both a Senate and House bill were recently introduced in the Illinois General Assembly. State Government Representative for the Sierra Club Illinois Chapter, Nicole Saulsberry, emphasizes, "It's critical we have a robust safety plan established that will protect communities that are in proximity to heavy railway traffic. It is crucial to the safety of residents, primarily children who attend schools nearby. Despite heavy opposition, I'm optimistic that we will witness the passing of HB 1542. We simply cannot wait for another catastrophe to occur. Let us think soberly about this issue and the ramifications of inaction or opposition to such critical legislation."
Aggravating the possibility of another catastrophic incident such as that experienced by citizens of Lac-Mégantic in Quebec, Canada, which killed 47 unsuspecting residents and decimated the core of their city center - not rebuilt to date - is inconsistent with La Coalition's campaign outcome to protect children and staff at schools and other public facilities located near rail corridors where toxic, explosive substances are transported or stored.
Gilbert Carette, member of the Coalition of Citizens and Organizations Committed to Rail Safety in Lac-Mégantic, warns, "Don't be surprised if the rail traffic people are expecting in Illinois is the same passing in our destroyed downtown - two-mile long convoys, all carrying hazardous chemicals and petroleum products. And, to put even more on our plate, a contour lane is planned to pass through our industrial park at over 40 mph. Our highway is your highway! We're connected."
La Coalition strongly opposes both a Kansas City Southern merger with Canadian Pacific as well as one with Canadian National based on the dangers associated with transporting toxic and explosive substances on turn of the century railroads by an industry that continues to thumb its nose at safety standards and tolerable working conditions. We consider industry practices extraordinarily dangerous and negligent. We do not support increased capacity, nor do we support the exploration of alternative routes that will compromise other communities.
The Rail Safety Campaign does not speak out against all rail freight - when provided necessary safeguards, trains may be a safer and greener alternative. La Coalition demands federal regulations to address existing rail freight traffic and hazardous cargo such as mandating minimum two-person crews, lower crude oil volatility, reduced train lengths, slower speed limits, frequent in-person track inspections, humane work hours and attendance policies, and other rules that help keep railroad workers safe. Their safety is our safety!
The Rail Safety Campaign seeks to protect people, air, water, and land in Lake and northern Cook counties from the negative impacts of hazardous substances transported by rail. Therefore, we oppose increases in capacity that are detrimental to the safety of residents and exclusively benefit industry profiteers. Instead, we promote safe rail freight practices and green commuter rail public services.
1. La Coalition asks the Surface Transportation Board to refuse submissions for approval of any action that will increase rail freight that transports hazardous substances and places our communities in further harm's way.
2. We encourage the Lake County Board to be vigilant in protecting our communities from any proposals for increased capacity, whether submitted by Canadian Pacific, Canadian National, or any other rail carrier transporting toxic, explosive hazardous substances that put our residents at risk.
3. Last, we advocate that Lake County Board members work with us to mitigate existing threats to our safety and provide assistance to communities impacted by social injustice created by this issue.
Gerri Songer, Campaign Liaison - Gloria Charland, Campaign Member
gerri.songer@gmail.com, 847-837-0664
La Coalition Rail Safety Campaign, Woods & Wetlands Group - Sierra Club, IL Chapter
The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.8 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.