RSI-CTC to PHMSA: Stronger tank cars alone won’t do it
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefThe Railway Supply Institute Committee on Tank Cars (RSI-CTC) on Feb. 6, 2015, released a statement regarding the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) draft rule on tank cars for crude oil and ethanol going to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. RSI-CTC said that stronger tank cars are only part of the means necessary to prevent hazmat spills in a derailment.
“We understand PHMSA has taken the next step toward regulatory certainty by releasing its draft rule to the OMB for review,” RSI-CTC said. “It is our expectation that the final regulations will include tank car requirements that will result in fewer product releases following a low speed derailment. However, it is critical that everyone involved recognize that there is no viable tank car design that can survive a high speed derailment such as the one that occurred at Lac-Mégantic. In fact, the data from the accident shows that the forces involved in that tragedy were so great that even the most robust of the proposed tank car designs would not have survived the accident.”
“Derailment studies highlight that the leading causes of derailments are operating errors and track maintenance issues,” RSI-CTC said. “For this reason, the rule must also include a comprehensive focus on rail operations and track maintenance and inspection. Enhanced tank car structural requirements alone will not address the root cause of the problem.”
RSI-CTC added that it “continues to support the rulemaking process and the need for a rule that is harmonized with Transport Canada and contains aggressive but realistic time frames for achieving safety improvements for the transportation of flammable liquids.”
