Class description
The Pacific Northwest is experiencing rapid changes in the railcar movement of oil to our ports and refineries. Engines hauling 100 or more tank cars of Bakken crude oil pass through the Seattle area about 20 times per week, and the volume is increasing. Not just any crude, the oil these trains carry is a highly flammable product extracted from the Bakken region of North Dakota. Five such Bakken trains have derailed in North America since February—rupturing tank cars, polluting waterways, and igniting fires that burned for days. If an oil-train accident were to occur in a populated area, the results could be disastrous.
Safety experts and emergency responders are seriously concerned about the safe transportation of Bakken crude. Though federal and state laws have been passed addressing improved railcar design and recommending chemical testing of the shipped oil, implementation is slow, and accidents are still happening. Emergency responders fear the measures fail to address preparedness.
This course is designed to give participants general awareness and safety information on Bakken crude oil. Learn what you and your municipalities, communities, and organizations need to know to be prepared in the event of a rail incident.