Category Archives: Emergency Readiness & Response

Bakken Crude, Crude By Rail, Derailment, Emergency Readiness & Response, Explosion, Fire, Union Pacific Railroad, Valero Benicia Refinery

Derailment fireballs too hot to handle

Repost from The Benicia Herald
[Editor: I wrote the following for publication in the Benicia Herald to comment on our local version of a phenomenon taking place at cities across the nation.  I’ve lost track of the number of Google alerts in recent weeks about first-responder-crude-by-rail-training-events sponsored at great expense by the rail and refinery industries.  In nearly every case, the after-training press releases and interviews serve as pacifiers to public concerns, with assurances of adequate equipment and training should anything go wrong.  This is, of course, far from the case.  Our respected and heroic firefighters are caught in a catch-22: of course they want additional training, but their work should not be made into a pawn in the ugly game of industry painting itself as clean and safe.  – RS]

Roger Straw: A straw man

November 14, 2014 by Roger Straw

THE HERALD’S RECENT TWO PART SERIES (click HERE and HERE) on the Union Pacific Railroad emergency training at Valero for a crude-by-rail accident suggested that someone, somewhere has claimed that “crude oil fires can’t be extinguished” and that “foam doesn’t put out fires.” Valero Fire Chief Joe Bateman called it a “fabrication,” and he’s right. No one I know has claimed this. (Classically, this is referred to as a “straw man” argument … and as you might guess, someone with my last name just can’t resist rising to the bait.)

The fire at Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, is out, so it surely was extinguished, though it took two days beginning with a period when it could not be approached. For a time there was, in fact, no alternative to just letting it burn. The same is true of the explosion in Casselton, N.D. In certain circumstances, firefighters do deliberately let a fire burn itself out. Sometimes this is a triage decision: First responders’ priorities are sometimes directed to saving lives and deflecting the flow of a spill. Other times it is because there is no other choice.

It is accurate to state that foam puts out crude oil fires, but that statement loses its meaning in a worst-case scenario of a major catastrophic derailment and explosion. When there is a massive fire such as that in Lac-Mégantic or Casselton, firefighters have been unable to safely approach the inferno and have indeed been forced to let the fire burn. Foam puts out oil fires, but not when emergency personnel are a half-mile distance from a catastrophic explosion.

I recently received a communication from Fred Millar, a well-known independent consultant and expert on chemical safety and railroad transportation. Millar gives convincing and documented testimony addressing the tactic of “letting it burn itself out.” He wrote, “…in several post-Lac-Mégantic forums (see the NTSB Safety Forum webcast) and in many media articles, the majority of fire service experts have been clear that the ongoing crude oil rail disasters are beyond their capabilities to handle. Even with an infinite amount of costly foam, letting them burn is the only sensible approach (and this is what was done in all the major crude oil disasters in North America).”

Millar’s full statement and nearly a dozen other reputable sources confirm this as fact. (See Benicia Independent articles: Firefighters will sometimes stand back and let an oil train fire burn itself out and Expert on first responder decisions to ‘let it burn’.)

A few questions remain. Did the Union Pacific training include preparation for a massive unapproachable explosion? Do our first responders know what to do (or not do) in the case of another Lac-Mégantic, Lynchburg or Casselton? Have our firefighters and emergency personnel considered how to protect Valero’s Industrial Park neighbors and residents within a 1-mile blast/evacuation zone of a potential major accident? Somehow, I don’t think Union Pacific’s shiny yellow training tank car did much to help our local heroes figure out what to do if a 50-car train carrying millions of gallons of volatile Bakken crude oil derails, punctures and sets off multiple massive explosions.

Yes, I know … not likely. But few would disagree: When it comes to high-risk ventures, “well-prepared” means knowledge of, and readiness for, worst-case scenarios.

For more information, see SafeBenicia.org.

Roger Straw is a Benicia resident.

 

Bakken Crude, Crude By Rail, Derailment, Emergency Readiness & Response, Massive increase in crude-by-rail

Indiana derailment emergency response plan: evacuate homes and let it burn

Repost from WANE-TV, Fort Wayne, IN
[Editor: Significant quote by Auburn Indiana Fire Chief Mike VanZile: “’Defensively, to let something burn is usually the safest for the environment. If we start adding a bunch of foam, a bunch of water to a product and it goes into city sewers, lakes, streams, rivers, waterways, the environmental impact could last for years,’ VanZile explained. ‘If it’s one car involved, we would have the resources to help start putting that fire out. If it’s multiple cars, we don’t have close to the resources to do that.’”

Evacuations likely if an oil train derails

By Adam Widener, November 13, 2014


FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Northeast Indiana is a major corridor for railroads. It’s no stranger to hazardous shipments and derailments.  One particular product is traveling through at increasingly high rates: crude oil.

Explosive and even deadly derailments have recently brought oil train concerns into the national spotlight. It’s a scenario first responders are preparing for now, more than ever.

If an oil train catches fire, the emergency response plan includes evacuating homes and letting the trains burn out, instead of fighting the blaze.

More crude oil produced in North Dakota is being shipped through northeast Indiana and across the U.S. Since the beginning of 2013, there have been at least 10 major oil train derailments in the U.S. and Canada.  One incident in Quebec killed 47 people.

The trend has caught the attention of federal safety regulators, who have proposed a handful of new regulations to make oil trains safer.

A Norfolk Southern train derailed east of New Haven on September 15.
A Norfolk Southern train derailed east of New Haven on September 15.

15 Finds Out: First responders left in the dark regarding oil train stats

Northeast Indiana isn’t exempt from train derailments. In September, a Norfolk Southern train derailed just east of New Haven. Fortunately, most of the tank cars were empty. Officials said no chemicals or hazardous materials spilled.

Serious hazmat incidents

Other areas across the state haven’t been as fortunate.  15 Finds Out looked up records with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). They state there have been six “serious” hazmat incidents on Indiana railroads since January 1, 2010. Fortunately, none involved crude oil.

One of the worst accidents happened in Ligonier in March of 2012.  More than 200,000 pounds of molten sulfur spilled when a Norfolk Southern train derailed.  Some of it caught fire and more than 100 people from 56 homes had to be evacuated because of the toxic plume of smoke.

Other areas impacted include:

  • Portage – 6/6/10: A CSX train derailed and spilled 22,000 pounds of Polymeric Beads in super sacks
  • Oakland City – 6/1/12: A mixed freight train derailed and spilled 16,424 gallons of ethanol. It caused $876,000 in damage
  • Avon – 10/5/13: A CSX train leaked 0.1 gallons of hydrochloric acid
  • Westville – 1/6/12: Three trains collided, caught fire, and spilled almost two gallons of flammable alcohols. 54 people were evacuated.
  • Hammond – 12/28/11: An Indiana Harbor Belt train derailed and spilled 150 gallons of diesel fuel
More than 200,000 pounds of molten sulfur spilled when a Norfolk Southern train derailed in Ligonier in 2012.
More than 200,000 pounds of molten sulfur spilled when a Norfolk Southern train derailed in Ligonier in 2012.

But what if the incidents had involved crude oil?  Michael “Mick” Newton, Noble County Emergency Management Director, handled the Ligonier incident.  He said the local response would be similar no matter what hazardous material derails.

Emergency crews plan to call railroad leaders, who will respond to clean up the derailment. They will also immediately get people out of the “danger area,” which could include anyone living near the toxic plume of smoke.

Newton exclusively showed 15 Finds Out an app EMA directors would use in the case of a derailment and toxic fire.

“This program gives us an idea how far, worst case scenario, to evacuate,” Newton explained. One oil train simulation had evacuations up to five miles away from the potential derailment.

Auburn Fire Chief Mike VanZile said his team has recently trained more on crude oil derailments than ever before. He said if an oil train derailed and caught fire, his crews will have to let it burn.

“Defensively, to let something burn is usually the safest for the environment. If we start adding a bunch of foam, a bunch of water to a product and it goes into city sewers, lakes, streams, rivers, waterways, the environmental impact could last for years,” VanZile explained. “If it’s one car involved, we would have the resources to help start putting that fire out. If it’s multiple cars, we don’t have close to the resources to do that.”

With a greater number of oil trains traveling through places like Fort Wayne, Auburn, and Garrett, federal officials say the risk for these extreme responses is growing.

Newton made it clear that he’s not overly concerned by the rising number of oil trains traveling through his county. But when asked for the worst case scenario, he said, “If it were to happen here in the town of Albion or in a community, that would be my worst nightmare because the area we would have to evacuate.”

Bakken Crude, Crude By Rail, Derailment, Emergency Readiness & Response, Explosion, Fire

Firefighters will sometimes stand back and let an oil train fire burn itself out

[Editor: The question arose here in Benicia whether emergency personnel sometimes choose to stand back after an oil train derailment and explosion and let a fire burn itself out.  Many reports show that this is in fact the case when there is a huge explosion following a Bakken oil train wreck.  – RS]

Casselton, North Dakota
Casselton, North Dakota

From the White Plains NY Journal News http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/rockland/2014/04/23/crude-oil-derailments-fire-concerns/8054931/)
WASHINGTON – Crude oil and ethanol fires caused by derailed freight trains are left to burn out on their own because first responders can’t extinguish them, fire safety officials told the National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday….“They are no-brainers,” Greg Noll of the National Fire Protection Association said during the second day of a two-day forum on safety issues linked to rail transport of crude oil and ethanol. “There is very little we as first responders are going to do.”….Even multiple fire departments located near the site of a railroad tanker fire don’t have enough foam to extinguish such blazes, which can spread from car to car.

From NorthJersey.com (http://www.northjersey.com/news/environment/firefighters-want-countywide-plan-1.1113693)
“The rapid growth is going to be beyond anything we can contain,” said Bergenfield Fire Chief Jason Lanzilotti, who held a response drill to an oil train derailment over the summer. “Evacuation is a major problem. Fire suppression is out of the question. There has to be some kind of framework so that not every town is individually looking at what needs to be done.” … Tiedemann talked about different methods firefighters may take in dealing with an oil train fire. He said it may be more dangerous to try to put a fire out immediately since the oil could flow away from the wreckage and reignite elsewhere.

From the Bellingham Herald: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2014/09/14/3853569_preparing-for-the-worst-is-whatcom.html?rh=1
When faced with an event like a derailment, first responders have to decide whether to fight or surround the problem, depending on available resources and the size and intensity of any fire or spill, said Roger Christensen, Bellingham’s interim emergency manager and recently retired fire chief….“If you’re faced with an event you can’t do anything about, you have to decide how to protect what’s around it,” Christensen said….  “Even with a lot of foam you may not be able to put that fire out,” Brady told those at the White Salmon meeting. […quoting Patrick Brady, BNSF director of Hazardous Materials Special Operations].

From NRDC Switchboard, Diane Bailey’s Blog  (http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/dbailey/this_washington_that_washingto.html)
How can emergency responders deal with crude oil rail accidents?  A panel concluded that the best tactic is to let a derailment burn, pull back, and take a “defensive posture”.  Emergency responders were clear that the ongoing crude oil rail disasters are beyond their capabilities to handle.  “Even with an infinite amount of costly foam”, letting them burn is the only sensible approach (and this is what was done in Lynchburg this afternoon).  They note that major derailments would require enormous amounts of foam, there is not enough water to apply it especially in rural areas, and anyway, they cannot get close enough to the fires to apply it.  Derailments in urban areas would pose significant operating risks that go well beyond current operational capabilities for emergency responders.  [source was Rail Safety Consultant Fred Millar’s notes from the April 2014 rail safety forum in DC]

On the Casselton, ND fire – from The Associated Press (http://bigstory.ap.org/article/crews-respond-fiery-nd-train-derailment)
[About Casselton, ND] Investigators couldn’t get close to the blaze…and official estimates of how many train cars caught fire varied….The cars were still burning as darkness fell, and authorities said they would be allowed to burn out.

Also on the Casselton fire: http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/12/30/there-was-a-huge-fireball-train-carrying-crude-oil-explodes-after-derailing-in-north-dakota/
Cass County Sheriff’s Sgt. Tara Morris…estimates about 10 cars from a mile-long train caught fire and will have to burn out. She said it could take up to 12 hours before authorities can get close.

On the Lynchburg, VA fire – from Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/30/us-railways-accident-virginia-idUSBREA3T0YW20140430)
JoAnn Martin, the city’s director of communications, said three or four tank cars were leaking, and burning oil was spilling into the river, which runs to Chesapeake Bay. She said firefighters were trying to contain the spill and would probably let the fire burn itself out.

Also on the Lynchburg fire – from The Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/02/lynchburg-virginia-oil-train-crash_n_5251991.html?utm_hp_ref=green)
Lynchburg officials evacuated some buildings and let the fire burn out…Richard Edinger, assistant fire chief in the Richmond suburb of Chesterfield County, said no fire department except those at some refineries has sufficient equipment and materials to deal with exploding oil-filled tank cars.

On the Lac-Mégantic fire – from In These Times (http://inthesetimes.com/article/16623/official_tipped_off_hess_rail_yard_about_unannounced_oil_inspection)
Canadian safety investigators found American shippers in North Dakota’s Bakken region had understated the volatility of the oil that ignited and destroyed much of Lac Mégantic’s downtown area. Improper classification caused the shipment to be transported in an improper package. Emergency responders, too, were caught by surprise at how quickly the fire spread and how long it burned.

Note that in Lac-Mégantic, the fire burned for the better part of two days.  See the NTSB report (http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/recletters/2014/R-14-004-006.pdf).  Also Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lac-M%C3%A9gantic_rail_disaster) and The Globe and Mail (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/okay-were-in-hell-lac-megantic-fire-chief-recounts-night-of-train-explosion/article21137065/).

On RURAL accidents (let’s not forget about all of our uprail communities along UP’s tracks), this from Maine’s SeacoastOnline.com (http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20140417-NEWS-140419756)
The first people on scene at a rural oil incident will be declining numbers of volunteer firefighters who are hours from the highly-trained response teams and special kind of equipment, materials and gear needed to handle oil fires. Of 59 communities along rail lines, five have no fire department and 27 rely on solely volunteers.

 

 

Bakken Crude, Crude By Rail, Derailment, Emergency Readiness & Response, Explosion, Fire

Expert on first responder decisions to ‘let it burn’

[Editor: I recently received an email from Fred Millar, a well-known independent consultant and expert on chemical safety and railroad transportation.  Millar gives convincing and documented testimony that many first responders admit they do not have the skills and equipment needed to address a major derailment and explosion of a train carrying hazardous materials such as Bakken crude.  Here he addresses the tactic of “letting it burn itself out.”  Reprinted here with permission.  – RS]

Fred Millar on emergency response:

NTSB Rail Safety Forum 4.23.2014 (webcast at 8min05sec)_opt
Testimony at NTSB Rail Safety Forum April 23, 2014: Decision to Let Burn, (webcast at 8min05sec), http://ntsb.capitolconnection.org/042314/ntsb_archive_flv.htm

I recently commented on Emergency Response capabilities and cited some of the most authoritative sources I rely on regarding the impossibility of any effective ER to a crude oil unit train derailment:

I viewed online and transcribed for interested parties some parts of the NTSB Safety Forum in April, 2014.   One early session involved first-hand analyses of accidents and unchallenged authoritative judgments by prominent US Fire Chiefs [one representing the International Association of Fire Chiefs] and emergency planning representatives  asserting that they cannot handle a major flammables unit train derailment. which they said was “way beyond our current capabilities.”  [See video webscast, note presentation at 7:50]

Instead, they conceded that all they could implement were “defensive firefighting tactics,” i.e., evacuate to a safe distance.  The Federal government recommends a 1/2 mile evacuation and isolation distance in the Guide 128 of the venerable DOT Emergency Response Guidebook.  This guideline is based on only one railcar of crude oil involved in a fire, hardly a reflection of real-world accidents already experienced.  Since many experienced accidents have involved many railcars and unit trains on average have 100+ cars, some fire chiefs and emergency managers with crude oil unit train traffic are doing their pre-planning based on potential evacuation zones of 1/2 and 1 mile on each side of the tracks [e.g., statement by Seattle Emergency Management director Barb Graff] or even have pre-loaded their fire service vehicles with GIS maps showing emergency zones of 1/2, 1, 2, and 5-miles [e.g., James City County VA].

The US DOT Emergency Response Guidebook says both ethanol and crude oil trains are “highly flammable and explosive” under some conditions.  The main danger is not so much a “blast,” not technically speaking an explosion of a whole tank car, and the damages at Lac-Megantic were not mainly from blast.  The main risk is extensive fire and fireball events [which can feel to survivors like blasts on their faces] involving first the most volatile components of the cargo and then the main railcar cargo itself ———“rivers of fire”.

[I could elaborate and quote here from the cf UIUC academic study….]

Some US fire chiefs and emergency managers, who almost always prefer to maintain that their communities are “prepared” for even serious emergencies, have asserted [irresponsibly, I would maintain] that with adequate regional cooperation to combine strategically pre-positioned trailers with stocks of fire-fighting foam, they could “fight” crude oil train derailment fire events.   The Pittsburg CA Fire Department [crude oil unit train unloading project proposed] and the Boston MA metropolitan area fire chiefs [ongoing ethanol unit train shipments] thus recently separately submitted wish lists of  the different types of foam supplies needed for laying down a smothering blanket on relatively quiet and level crude oil or ethanol pool fires [useless for burning and exploding tank cars or raging “rivers of fire”], and for fixed foam spraying equipment at the unloading terminals and mobile foam vehicles for the line haul communities.  Along with desired training, etc., the chiefs estimated the cost at $1.2 million in the Boston case.

But in several post-Lac-Mégantic forums [again, see the NTSB Safety Forum, beginning around 8:40 on the webcast of Day Two] and in many media articles, the majority of fire service experts have been clear that the ongoing crude oil rail disasters are beyond their capabilities to handle.  “Even with an infinite amount of costly foam”, letting them burn is the only sensible approach (and this is what was done in all the major crude oil disasters in North America).  They note that major derailments would require enormous amounts of foam, there is not enough water to apply it especially in rural areas, and anyway, [from 1/2 mile distance or more] they cannot get close enough to the fires to apply it.  Derailments in urban areas would pose significant operating risks that go well beyond current operational capabilities for emergency responders.