The Canadian Pacific-Dakota Minnesota and Eastern Railroad Merger
The Eastside Pioneers Neighborhood Association
(ESPNA) is relieved to hear that no one was hurt
when a Burlington, Northern, Santa Fe (BNSF) train derailed and several tanker cars exploded down in a remote location in central Oklahoma.
The BNSF train was carrying crude oil and ethanol and derailed just northeast of Luther, Oklahoma and north of state Highway 66 at about 2:30 p.m. on Friday August 22, sending a giant fireball into the sky and forcing evacuations within a half-mile of the area.
There were multiple explosions after the derailment and the smoke could be seen across much of central Oklahoma. It even showed up for a time on Advantage Doppler HD, KOCO TV 5, Oklahoma City’s weather radar. Fortunately, the fire and explosions occurred in an area that is primarily rural.
The ESPNA cannot help but be concerned by such incidents as cited above. The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern (DME) railroad corridor passes through our densely populated community, including our neighborhood. We have a number of homes in close proximity to the DME railroad tracks and have not forgotten the derailment that occurred within our neighborhood association a few years ago. We are also well aware that the DME currently transports a number of hazardous materials through our neighborhood, including ethanol.
Our fears of such a catastrophe happening here are not allayed by the acquisition of the DME by the larger, more apt CP, but are only heightened by the very real possibility that within a month, the Surface Transportation Board (STB), may very well likely be giving their blessing to a disaster in the making.
We have heard rumors that once the acquisition is approved things could move rather quickly. The ESPNA does not want this hastily, ill-considered juggernaut passing through our city or our neighborhood. It is unconscionable to even consider such a proposition. We are concerned that the union between the DME, an historically irresponsible railroad and the CP, a railroad with deep pockets, may spell real trouble for us as this will more than likely give more impetus to an already dangerous situation.
Even the CP, a Class I railroad, with a markedly better safety and operational record than the DME, has had a catastrophic accident. Recall the CP anhydrous tanker accident in Minot, ND, six years ago, resulting in one death and several hundred injuries. With this in mind, it is rather chilling to read statements made by the CP regarding the poor condition of the DME railroad. There’s so many problems with the current DME railroad that the CP openly acknowledges that they do not have enough capital on hand to immediately and adequately address the needed improvements. The CP even appears helpless to rectify the situation. It is openly acknowledged that in all likelihood there will be gaps, for some time in the future, in needed safety implementation and improvements on the CP-DME railroad corridor.
Our fear is that the STB is just as infatuated as both railroads are with the risky Powder River Basin proposal so much so that they are willing to overlook multiple problems just to approve the acquisition and that our neighbors may end up paying for it with our property and our lives.
