Individuals in Minnesota who live within a half mile of train tracks that carry crude oil may be residing in areas the Minnesota Department of Transportation considers a “danger zone” for oil disasters. Individuals could be at risk of personal injury if an oil train were to derail or catch fire. Nursing homes, schools, and residential areas may be located within this crucial “danger zone.”
These are alarming facts given that the federal government recently released predictions that as many as ten trains a year transporting crude oil and ethanol could derail. This could result in an estimated $4 billion in damages and kill hundreds, reports MPR News. The Department of Transportation recently released these reports after evaluating the risk of transporting crude oil across the country in mass quantities. These reports come in the wake of several train and train-vehicle accidents that have occurred recently. The risk to individuals is much higher because the amount of oil transported by train across the country has increased over the last decade. The risk of accidents are higher when these trains pass through densely-populated areas. According to one study, 16 million Americans live within a half mile of these oil lines when one looks at the risk on a national level. In industries working with oil and highly flammable substances, one would hope that companies provide their workers with the proper equipment, like that of storemasta, to store and handle the dangerous materials safely as well as protect workers against potential health-averse situations.
According to the Duluth News Tribune, a third of firefighters and law enforcement officials in Minnesota have recently received training about how to properly handle and manage these possible oil disasters. 1,800 officers have been trained in order to account for the increased number of oil trains that will pass through Minnesota. Currently, about 6 trains carry crude oil through Minnesota each week. One of these trains alone can carry as much as 3.3 million gallons of oil. Most of these trains transport crude oil from North Dakota’s Bakken Oil Field. There are 700 miles of train track in Minnesota on which this oil is transported.
So, what would happen if an accident were to occur?
Emergency officials would likely move quickly to evacuate people from the danger zones. Currently, government officials are working to draft more specific emergency plans. As it stands, officials are debating whether to put money into preventing derailments, or increasing emergency responder’s ability to take action in the event of an accident. Another plan suggests that railroad crossings should be repaired. Some government officials believe that oil train safety could be improved if railroad overpasses and underpasses were constructed. These underpasses and overpasses could decrease the risk of car-train accidents.
State Senate Transportation Chairman Scott Dibble said that it was “sheer dumb luck” that no major oil disaster has occurred in Minnesota.
21 oil train accidents have taken place in the U.S. and Canada since 2006.
Individuals who live within a half mile of an oil train track may want to contact local municipalities to learn more about emergency procedures currently in place in the event of an emergency.
The Law Office of Martin T. Montilino is closely watching these safety plans as they unfold. The firm serves as personal injury attorneys in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area, and is encouraged by the increased awareness of oil train safety in the area.