"Big Cities Scramble To Be Prepared for An Oil Train Disaster"

"PHILADELPHIA — They rumble past schools, homes and businesses in dozens of cities around the country — 100-car trains loaded with crude oil from the Upper Midwest.

While railroads have long carried hazardous materials through congested urban areas, cities are now scrambling to formulate emergency plans and to train firefighters amid the latest safety threat: a fiftyfold increase in crude shipments that critics say has put millions of people living or working near the tracks at heightened risk of derailment, fire and explosion.

After a series of fiery crashes, The Associated Press conducted a survey of nearly a dozen big cities that, collectively, see thousands of tank cars each week, revealing a patchwork of preparedness. Some have plans specifically for oil trains; others do not. Some fire departments have trained for an oil train disaster; others say they're planning on it. Some cities are sitting on huge quantities of fire-suppressing foam, others report much smaller stockpiles."

Michael Rubinkam and Geoff Mulvihill report for the Associated Press September 3, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"New Jersey Guards Information on Oil Trains in State" (AP)

"NY Cities Update Emergency Plans To Deal With Oil Trains" (AP)

"CSX Sued Over West Virginia Oil Train Derailment" (AP)

"Franken, Baldwin Want More Oil Train Safety Measures" (Minnesota Public Radio)

"Senate Panel Gets Earful Over Oil Train Concerns" (WCCO-TV)

"Albany County Exec Targets Feds in Push for Oil Train Crackdown" (Politico)

"Oil Train Disaster Emergency Plans Vary Across 11 Major Cities" (Next City)

Source: AP, 09/04/2015