Kaine, Warner praise proposed new rail safety standards

U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner praised the proposal for new rail safety standards released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The senators had been calling on federal regulators to expedite development of the safety rules in the wake of the April 30 train derailment in downtown Lynchburg.

The derailment, which upset 17 CSX cars carrying Bakken crude oil and punctured one, caused no injuries but sparked a large fire on the James River and became part of a national debate over how to safely ship oil.

“Incidents like the oil car derailment in Lynchburg earlier this year demonstrate why ensuring safe transport of oil by rail requires the best technology, close coordination with local communities and quick access to information so first responders know what they are dealing with in a crisis situation,” Kaine said in a joint statement Wednesday, adding he’s encouraged to see the regulatory review moving forward.

The crash in Lynchburg was part of a string of fiery derailments involving Bakken oil seen over the past year, including a deadly wreck in Quebec that killed 47 people.

Oil shipments from the Bakken shale in North Dakota are on the rise. Production in that region has nearly tripled since 2010, according to the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, and the oil — more volatile and flammable than other types of crude — can be shipped more than 1,000 miles across the country to reach coastal refineries.

The train in Lynchburg, one of 2 to 5 per week CSX currently ships across the state, was headed to a refinery in Yorktown.

The cause of the train’s derailment still is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, which declined to release any new information Wednesday.

The James River Association, an advocacy group for the James River, said it still was reviewing the proposed rail regulations Wednesday afternoon.

But the group added it had yet to see provisions that would’ve prevented the fire and oil spill in Lynchburg.

Pat Calvert, a river monitor for the association, noted the regulations wouldn’t take effect for more than a year. Until then, all current risks would remain “fully intact,” he said.

“We must do more for our communities and for our river,” Calvert said.

The regulations, which are now in a 60-day public comment period, include phasing out the use of older DOT-111 train cars, which the NTSB has criticized as being prone to puncture in a crash.

The car that ruptured in Lynchburg was a DOT-111 — though it was a newer model meant to be safer.

The newer models still may be acceptable under the new regulations that emerge. Federal authorities are debating the details of the rail car safety standards. One option calls for a thicker steel shell on the cars, enhanced brakes and rollover guards.

Lynchburg City Manager Kimball Payne said Wednesday he had not been briefed on the full scope and potential impact of the federal proposal.

But phasing out older train cars in favor of safer models seems like a positive step, he said.

“I certainly think it’s in the public interest for these rail cars to be safer,” he said. “… I would say any community that has these trains going through it would appreciate knowing the cars are safer.”

CSX recently expressed interest in doing follow-up outreach in Lynchburg to get the community’s feedback on its derailment response and cleanup work, which the city could welcome, Payne said.

City Hall already has done an internal review of its emergency response in the derailment, but Payne noted, “It would be good to engage the public and see what their perceptions are.”

In a statement Wednesday, CSX said it was reviewing the Department of Transportation’s proposal and would continue working to increase the safety of rail transport.

The Association of American Railroads said the proposal offers a “much-needed pathway” for improving safety as railroads ship more oil, ethanol and other energy products than ever before.

“The fact that the proposed rule incorporates several of the voluntary operating practices we have already implemented demonstrates the railroad industry’s ongoing commitment to rail safety,” said a statement from the industry group.

In February, the association agreed to a number of voluntary safety measures for crude oil trains, including more inspections, reduced speed limits and stricter route analysis standards.

Sen. Warner, who organized a rail safety roundtable in Richmond last month in response to the derailment, said he was pleased to see the federal proposal advancing to the public comment stage.

“There is clearly more work to be done, and we need to ensure first responders have the appropriate information and resources to respond in case there is an incident,” he said in a joint statement released with Kaine. “I look forward to working with US DOT, the business community and Virginia localities to move this process forward so that we can protect our communities and transport these materials in the safest possible manner.”

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