Tag Archives: oil train

Valero Crude By Rail, Vallejo Times-Herald

Valero meeting TODAY 3/24, 6:30-7:45pm

Repost from the Vallejo Times-Herald
[BenIndy editor’s note: Everyone should attend this meeting, to hear Valero explain itself, and to share with Valero’s managers and employees the genuine questions and concerns we have about crude by rail.  The criticisms of Valero’s proposal are many and varied, and represent the concerns of everyday folks and highly trained scientists and professionals.  See Project Review.  To join with others who oppose crude by rail, sign the petition here or at SafeBencia.org. – Roger Straw]

Community meeting planned in Benicia on Valero crude-by-rail project

By Tony Burchyns, Vallejo Times-Herald 03/19/2014

BENICIA — The Valero Community Advisory Panel will host a community meeting Monday to discuss Valero’s controversial crude-by-rail project.

According to Valero Benicia refinery officials, the meeting’s purpose is to inform the community, especially Benicia residents, about what Valero believes is the importance of the project, both to the refinery and the city.

It will be held from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. at Ironworkers Union Local 378, 3120 Bayshore Road. Because of limited space, RSVPs are required by calling 707-654-9745 or via email to info@beniciacbr.com. For more information, visit www.beniciacbr.com.

The panel consists of Valero officials and members of the City Council, school board, business community and community at large. It was established by an agreement executed in 2000 between the city and Valero to provide an ongoing means of communication about issues of mutual concern.

The subject of the meeting will be Valero’s proposed rail off-loading facility that would allow the refinery to receive up to 70,000 barrels of crude oil per day by train. The project’s draft environmental impact report is due out next month.

Project critics have raised concerns about rail safety and the possible use of highly flammable Bakken crude from North Dakota. Critics also have raised concerns about the possible use of Canadian tar sands oil, regarded as more polluting than other crudes.

An opposition group, Benicians for a Safe and Healthy Community, have organized events and launched a website — www.safebenicia.org — to give voice to these concerns.

Valero officials, however, have repeatedly said the project wouldn’t increase emissions. They argue it would generate jobs and help the refinery stay competitive through better access to North American crude stocks.

Bakken Shale, California Regulation, Rail Safety, Risk Assessment, Roseville California

Roseville Firefighter: increased risk. Senator Wolk: no unified response

Repost from KCRA Sacramento

State lawmakers worried about oil trains

More crude arriving by rail from fracking fields

Mar 20, 2014

KCRA report 2014-03-20

ROSEVILLE, Calif. (KCRA) —California lawmakers have expressed concern about a growing influx of freight trains loaded with oil and the state’s ability to handle a major rail disaster.

“Right now we’re seeing approximately 30 to 40 (cars) a day,” said Peter Hnat, of the Roseville Fire Department.

Hnat said the tanker cars are passing through Roseville’s busy Union Pacific railyard on their way from North Dakota to oil refineries in the Bay Area.

He said railroad companies have told the city that the number of cars is eventually expected to reach 120 a day.

“The increased volume coming through town obviously increases the risk,” Hnat said.

Hnat said the risk also comes from the fact that these tankers are not carrying typical crude, but rather oil produced from the drilling process known as fracking.

Fracking, also known as hydraulic fracturing, is the fracturing of rock by a pressurized liquid to extract oil and natural gas.

Hnat said the oil produced by fracking is more volatile than typical crude.

Last summer, a train loaded with fracked oil derailed and exploded in Lac-Mégantic, Québec, and killed 47 people.

A similar accident happened last December in Casselton, N.D.

Kim Zagaris, fire chief for the state emergency management department, said he is most concerned about specific rural areas where derailments have been more frequent.

Zagaris pointed to a map that included such areas near the foothills town of Colfax, east of Chico and through a stretch of Plumas County.

He said these areas were also more likely to be hours away from specially trained hazardous materials crews.

“We have gaps in our system,” Zagaris said. “And like I said, the more rural the area, the longer the response will take.”

Zagaris said Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget proposal includes a plan to charge a tax on oil transported by rail, similar to a tax that already applies to maritime shipments.

He said the money would be dedicated to purchasing equipment and providing training for vulnerable areas.

According to the California Energy Commission, the amount of oil imported to the state by rail increased from more than 155,000 barrels in January 2013 to nearly 1.2 million barrels in December 2013 — a more than sevenfold increase.

State lawmakers held a hearing Thursday to discuss the issue of oil train safety.

“I’m not at all convinced that there’s a unified response by the state to this new challenge,” said Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis.

Benicia-Martinez Railroad Drawbridge, Bridge safety, Local Regulation, Rail tanker cars, Santa Maria Refinery

Berkeley Vice Mayor: more crude oil trains to cross Benicia Bridge enroute to Southern California

2 Comments
[The Berkeley resolution: “Opposing transportation of hazardous materials along California waterways through densely populated areas, through the East Bay, and Berkeley]

Several times over recent months, I have been urged to pay attention to a Santa Maria Refinery rail project in San Luis Obispo County.  Phillips 66 wants to import Bakken and tar-sands crude oil into their Santa Maria Refinery on trains with up to 80 tank cars per day.  Community activists there are organizing to oppose that project just as we are here in Benicia.  Until now, I have resisted paying much attention to their efforts.  I have been intentionally Valero-Benicia-focused, given my limited time and resources.

But I was very interested to learn today that Berkeley Vice Mayor Linda Maio has crafted a resolution for the Berkeley City Council “Opposing transportation of hazardous materials along California waterways through densely populated areas, through the East Bay, and Berkeley.”  Vice Mayor Maio acknowledges that local regulation will not be easy: “Mitigating the impacts of transporting crude and other commodities by rail has been a challenge, as the railroads claim they are subject to federal law but not to California law.  They are asserting federal pre-emption and arguing that other agencies have no authority to mitigate the impacts.  However, this is not correct.  Every permitting agency — cities, counties, and air districts — has the authority to deny land use and other permits if the applicant refuses to mitigate impacts.”  She goes on to offer a number of steps the Berkeley Council can take, including the resolution mentioned above.

An impressive effort.  We should take similar action here in Benicia.

Downloading the Maio/Berkeley materials, I noticed maps and text describing Union Pacific tank cars traveling along the Capitol Corridor and right through Benicia to Berkeley and beyond: “The crude oil trains would enter northern California via Donner Pass, through Auburn, Rocklin, and Roseville, proceed along the Sacramento River through Sacramento and Davis to Benicia and along the San Francisco Bay through Martinez, Richmond, Berkeley, Emeryville, and Oakland.  From Oakland the trains would use the Coast Line via Hayward, Santa Clara, San José, Salinas and continue along the Pacific Coast into San Luis Obispo County.  The same tracks are used by Amtrak for passenger transport.”  (see p. 2 of 8)

Capitol Corridor Route MapI really hope Vice Mayor Maio is NOT right about the route of these trains – in a brief search, I could not verify the route on the San Luis Obispo County website.  I am not certain, but it seems there might also be routes that pass southward through Stockton and then westward to Pittsburg and beyond, avoiding the Suisun Marsh and the Benicia Bridge.  But if Maio is right, Benicia is not only preparing for Valero’s 100 cars/day to stop and unload, but another 80 cars/day that would pass right through and over the Benicia Bridge, along the Carquinez Strait to the East Bay and beyond.  This is game-changing and highly significant to those of us who are primarily Benicia-focused.  The cumulative impacts of the crude by rail boom will be huge and many-faceted if we don’t band together statewide.

Stay tuned.  I’ll keep you informed if I can get clear on the route the Santa Maria trains will travel.

Roger Straw
Editor, The Benicia Independent

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), California Regulation, Derailment, DOT-111, Oil Industry, Rail industry, Rail tanker cars

California Senate hearing on crude oil train safety, Wednesday 3/19

Repost from Contra Costa Times
Agenda – Joint Hearing on Emergency Response to Rail Accidents 3-19-14 CA Senate
Background – Joint Hearing on Emergency Response to Rail Accidents 3-19-14 CA Senate

Sacramento: Train accidents and emergency response subject of state Senate hearing

By Tom Lochner  Contra Costa Times
Posted:   03/18/2014 02:48:11 PM PDT | Updated:   84 min. ago

SACRAMENTO — Amid public concern over several train accidents and explosions in North America over the past year, and increased transport of crude oil into California by rail, two state Senate committees will hold a joint public hearing on emergency response to rail accidents on Wednesday.

In Northern California, much of the crude-by-rail is headed for Contra Costa County, home to four oil refineries. A fifth refinery is located in nearby Benicia.

There will be presentations by officials of several state agencies responsible for emergency response:

  • Office of Emergency Services
  • Department of Fish and Wildlife, Office of Spill Prevention and Response
  • Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
  • Department of Toxic Substances Control
  • Certified Unified Program Agencies (CUPAS), including the Sacramento County Environmental Management Department

The hearing, by the Environmental Quality and Natural Resources and Water committees, will be at 9:30 a.m. in the California State Capitol, Room 3191, in Sacramento.

Public participation is invited.

The hearing will be televised. More information is available at http://senate.ca.gov/tvschedule. {To access the video, go to this link, note the correct ROOM number – 3191, then click on “Listen To Rooms” at left.  Find the correct room number again, and click. – BenIndy editor RS]