Benicians for a Safe and Healthy Community has invited an award-winning author and a scientist to speak Sunday in a forum about the proposed Valero Crude-by-Rail project.
Valero Benicia Refinery has applied to extend Union Pacific railroad tracks into its property and make other changes to accommodate trains that would deliver North American crude oil that would replace some shipments that currently arrive by tanker from overseas.
The project is undergoing environmental review under provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act. Both the project and the draft of the environmental report have been the subject of public meetings led by Benicia Planning Commission and the City Council.
Valero employees have led other meetings, as have the Good Neighbor Steering Committee and BSHC.
Antonia Juhasz, an oil and energy analyst who also is an investigative writer and award-winning author, will be one of the speakers addressing the forum today.
Also addressing the meeting will be Diane Bailey, senior scientist in the Health and Environmental Program of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Joining Juhasz and Bailey will be BSHC members who will describe the organization’s work.
Marilyn Bardet will describe the status of the project’s environmental review report, which is being revised in response to public comments from individuals as well as local, regional, state and other organizations and governmental agencies. Spokesperson Andres Soto will explain local, regional and cumulative impacts of delivering crude oil by rail car, and will talk about possible impacts to property value and the local economy.
The public will be able to ask questions and receive answers.
BSHC is a grassroots organization that Soto said advocates for responsible environmental action. It is working to prevent crude oil deliveries to Benicia by train.
“We must join together to stop this dangerous project. The community forum will give everyone an opportunity to meet with like-minded Benicians who want to ensure a safe and healthy future for ourselves and our families,” Soto said.
The forum will start at 1 p.m. Sunday in the Doña Benicia Room of Benicia Public Library, 150 East L St. For more information visit www.SafeBenicia.org, call 707-742-3597 or email info@SafeBenicia.org.
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Moe crude-by-rail “safety” news the community can use…
From the above article:
“We must join together to stop this dangerous project. The community forum will give everyone an opportunity to meet with like-minded Benicians who want to ensure a safe and healthy future for ourselves and our families,”
From the post below more valuable news and information for our appointed and elected officials to seriously consider…
“Regulators Past and Present Agree ECP Brakes Are “More Important Than the Tank Car Itself,” and “A Quantum Improvement in Rail Safety”
Cynthia Quarterman was in charge of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) for the majority of the multi-year process when the new oil-by-rail regulations were developed, and based on that process she believes ECP brakes are a top priority.
“The more I think about it, the more I think that the ECP brakes may be more important than the tank car itself,” Quarterman told USA Today. “Because it would stop the pileup of the cars when there’s a derailment or when there’s a need to brake in a very quick fashion.”
Quarterman has plenty of company when it comes to this position.
In 2006, Joseph Boardman, the administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) explained why ECP brakes were superior.
“ECP brakes are to trains what antilock brakes are to automobiles—they provide better control.” He also is on record saying that ECP braking “offers a quantum improvement in rail safety.”
http://www.desmogblog.com/2015/07/22/senate-working-strip-braking-safety-requirements-oil-train-regulations