They roll through Chautauqua County daily: railroad tank cars full of highly volatile, explosive North Dakota Bakkan crude oil.
Concerns over the safety of the increasing number of tanker trains was the subject of the Chautauqua County League of Women Voters 'Hot Topics' event January 13 in Fredonia. Speakers were Jordan Nicholson, deputy regional director for Senator Charles Schumer, and Dr. Charley Bowman, Western NY Peace Center.
“There are safety regulations for oil pipelines but there are zero regulations for railroad oil tankers,” Bowman told the League audience. “These oil tankers are substandard and so are the bridges they cross. There are three thousand rail bridges in New York -- and one federal inspector,” Nicholson stated.
The speakers noted that the crude oil being transported by rail is similar if not identical to the fracked Bakkan crude oil being transported by oil tank cars that in 2013 caused the deadly tragedy in Lac-Megantic, Quebec killing 42 people and incinerating 30 buildings.
Bakkan oil, unlike Texas crude, contains butane and propane turning it into a napalm-like bomb upon impact. Speakers stated that those living within a half-mile “are in grave danger should a tanker train derail.”
With several other senators, Shumer has introduced legislation – stalled in the Senate -- to address the problem by requiring that the unsafe cars be phased out and the flammable, explosive gases be removed prior to transport.
Filmed and edited by Karen Harvey of the Mayville-based film group, Snowshoefilms, the 50-minute video will air on Access Channel 5 on January 30 through February 5 at 3:00 and 9:00 PM daily.
Access Channel 5 is available to cable viewers in the Chautauqua, Mayville, North Harmony, Portland, Sherman, and Westfield areas, and can be found on channel 5 with a digital converter or on 5.3 on digital televisions without a cable converter.
The program may also be viewed after the initial airing at the station's web site http://ac5.weebly.com/
“There are safety regulations for oil pipelines but there are zero regulations for railroad oil tankers,” Bowman told the League audience. “These oil tankers are substandard and so are the bridges they cross. There are three thousand rail bridges in New York -- and one federal inspector,” Nicholson stated.
The speakers noted that the crude oil being transported by rail is similar if not identical to the fracked Bakkan crude oil being transported by oil tank cars that in 2013 caused the deadly tragedy in Lac-Megantic, Quebec killing 42 people and incinerating 30 buildings.
Bakkan oil, unlike Texas crude, contains butane and propane turning it into a napalm-like bomb upon impact. Speakers stated that those living within a half-mile “are in grave danger should a tanker train derail.”
With several other senators, Shumer has introduced legislation – stalled in the Senate -- to address the problem by requiring that the unsafe cars be phased out and the flammable, explosive gases be removed prior to transport.
Filmed and edited by Karen Harvey of the Mayville-based film group, Snowshoefilms, the 50-minute video will air on Access Channel 5 on January 30 through February 5 at 3:00 and 9:00 PM daily.
Access Channel 5 is available to cable viewers in the Chautauqua, Mayville, North Harmony, Portland, Sherman, and Westfield areas, and can be found on channel 5 with a digital converter or on 5.3 on digital televisions without a cable converter.
The program may also be viewed after the initial airing at the station's web site http://ac5.weebly.com/
