The number of freight trains carrying oil across America has soared in the past five years, but federal officials warn that the massive steel tank cars that carry most of that oil through towns and past schools – the same cars that exploded in Quebec this summer, killing 47 – may be unsafe and prone to rupture.
“The clock is ticking,” said Jim Arie, fire chief of the Chicago suburb of Barrington, Ill., where the number of trains that rumble across Main Street has grown from five a day to nearly one an hour. “As long as these rail cars are out there and they’re being used, potential exists for a major disaster.”
Read the complete story at NBC News.
Related News
- Longtime ally of union workers elected minority leader of Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Material Subcommittee
- FRA Administrator Amit Bose Honored as He Steps Down
- PRESS RELEASE: SMART-TD Helps Secure Crucial Win For Worker Safety
- Railroad Retirement Board Announces Enactment of Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness Act (REEF)
- Metra Workers Receive High Praise From Chicagoans
- Hotel Registration Deadline Approaching For Dallas Regional Training!
- Mercer County gains a new champion to fight for transit access: SMART-TD Brother Ron Sabol
- Local 1706 ratifies new agreement with Zum Transportation
- Union organizes holiday cheer throughout the nation
- After spending four decades representing workers, Brodar prepares for a new chapter