Global Concerns over Safety Grows as More Oil Rides the Rails

Article Critique: Payman Shawn Azadi

Article: “Global Concerns Over Safety Grows as More Oil Rides the Rails.”

Facts: It’s a known fact that America’s rail infrastructure is aging, and as it ages the risk for rail accidents is multiplied. A perfect example of this is in Casselton, North Dakota where a train of oil cars crashed into a train carrying grain on an adjacent track the ensuing fire from the trains burned for more than a day. Another example of the dangers of carrying oil via our crumbling rail infrastructure would be the example of a group of unattended tank cars in a small town in Quebec which derailed rolled down the grade crashed into downtown and killed more than 47 people. Even before this accident the United States Department of Transportation has said that oil shippers are failing to follow basic safety precautions like regulating the temperature of oil preventing it from turning into gas, burning or exploding. The Department of Transportation recently said that it is imperative on shippers to test the oil to test the volatility, the Department of Transportation also said it is important for tank cars to check the safety of its vehicles. The National Transportation Safety Board recently called the level of danger to the public unacceptable, and many local governments with rail running through them have complained to the Transportation Department asking them to put tighter restrictions on shippers of oil and other chemicals. The railroad industry itself has adopted new safety standards, however it is important to note that these standards are not as strict as the safety board recommends. People opposing tighter standards on the rail industry argue that “weak or defective cars do not cause derailments.” However safety officials point out that derailments are almost a daily occurrence.

CRITIQUE (How does this affect Transportation/Logistics/Economy): From a logistical standpoint