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Why crude oil trains keep derailing and exploding in Canada — even after the Lac-Mégantic disaster – CBC.ca

Published

4 years ago

June 15, 2020

When Melanie Loessl got a call from a friend on Feb. 6 that another oil train had crashed and burned near her community, she thought it was a joke.

Not two months earlier, she’d been forced to flee after a different Canadian Pacific Railway train carrying crude oil jumped the tracks and exploded near her home, just west of the hamlet of Guernsey, Sask.

Now, the entire community was facing evacuation.

“I was just like, ‘Oh, my God. Not again,'” said Loessl, a local potash mine worker.

“Once it happens twice in a row, it’s kind of scary.”

Melanie Loessl watched as a Canadian Pacific Railway oil train burned near her home just west of Guernsey, Sask., on Dec. 9, 2019. (Guy Quenneville/CBC)

A CBC News investigation has uncovered years’ worth of Transport Canada inspection reports documenting hundreds of safety problems along the Saskatchewan rail line, none of which prompted orders for trains to stop rolling.

What’s more, since the 2013 rail disaster in Lac-Mégantic, Que., that killed 47 people, there have been seven major derailments of crude oil trains in Canada. In each case, investigators blame broken track.

Experts who reviewed the CBC’s findings say the documents suggest the government regulator, Transport Canada, is failing to properly oversee rail companies and ensure the safety of hundreds of communities along the country’s vast rail networks.

‘Neither derailment was a surprise’

CBC News obtained five Transport Canada inspection reports from 2016 to 2020 for the CP line that stretches 183 kilometres from Wynyard, Sask., through Guernsey to Saskatoon, the province’s most populous city.

The reports detail hundreds of problems found by inspectors: 131 “non-compliances” and 215 “concerns,” including missing or defective railway ties (the wooden planks anchoring the track) and broken joint bars (which connect two long pieces of rail).

Ian Naish, a former director of rail investigations for the Transportation Safety Board (TSB), which investigates rail crashes, reviewed the inspection reports for CBC News.

He says the Saskatchewan track was in “really bad shape.”

“That’s an awful lot of non-compliance reports and concerns, and it looked like they were consistent over the three or four years,” Naish said.

“Neither derailment was a surprise at all.”

The government department that regulates and polices rail companies is Transport Canada.

During May and August of 2019, Transport Canada inspectors found more than 200 issues, including a defective piece of rail just hundreds of metres from where the second oil train derailed and blew up near Guernsey.

The documents detail CP’s plans for corrective action. Transport Canada says CP made “all necessary repairs” to defects found in 2019.

CP says its Saskatchewan line “has and will continue to be properly maintained,” noting the company spends hundreds of millions of dollars on annual maintenance.

Track issues ‘all too common,’ government says

While acknowledging “track issues remain an all too common cause of main track derailments,” Transport Canada insists it runs a “robust” oversight program.

“The non-compliances found during the track inspections in May and August 2019 were considered minor as CP Rail was able to mitigate the safety risk by temporarily reducing the maximum allowable speed along the tracks until repairs were made,” a government spokesperson said in an email.

And yet, two trains derailed and exploded on that very track, spilling a combined 3.1 million litres of crude oil and prompting the people of Guernsey to evacuate their homes.

The Transportation Safety Board says it suspects broken rail as the cause of both crashes.

The second derailment, just east of Guernsey, Sask., produced enough black smoke to prompt the community’s evacuation. The Transportation Safety Board says it suspects broken rail is responsible for both crashes. (Philippe Gaudet)

Heavy loads on the rise

Jack Gibney, the reeve for the municipality that includes Guernsey, wonders whether CP shouldn’t have foreseen the track issues, given the dramatic increase in oil shipments.

“The last couple years, it’s probably three times the amount of traffic we’re used to. Trains a mile long,” he said. “You can’t expect to put that much traffic over a rail line and not do the proper upkeep to keep it safe.”

In fact, CP’s loads of crude oil along the line southeast of Saskatoon have increased sevenfold since 2017, according to the Transportation Safety Board.

A Canadian Pacific Railway truck is parked at the site where a second train derailed near Guernsey on Feb. 6, 2020. (Guy Quenneville/CBC)

Rob Johnston, the head of the board’s rail operations for Central Canada, points to two Canadian National Railway oil trains that derailed in early 2015. The crashes happened within 11 kilometres and three weeks of each other near Gogama in northern Ontario.

CN reconstructed large sections of the track to handle heavier loads and hasn’t had a crash there since, Johnston said.

“That speaks volumes to what needs to be done here,” he said of the Saskatchewan track.

In Guernsey, on the heels of this winter’s explosions and spills, CP is now replacing a large span of track. The company says it has also added 11 of its own new inspectors across Canada where crude trains operate.

WATCH | We flew a drone over CP’s repair work in Guernsey:

In and near Guernsey, Sask. 0:40

‘Chronic problems’ met with no sanctions

There have been seven major oil train crashes in Canada since Lac-Mégantic: the two in Guernsey; the two in northern Ontario in 2015; plus one in St. Lazare , Man.; and two more in northwestern Ontario.

No one died, but five of the crashes happened within a few kilometres of towns and villages.

Six of the seven resulted in spills, releasing a combined 8.4 million litres of crude oil.

In all cases, the Transportation Safety Board blames track issues.

The seven derailed oil trains spilled a combined 8.4 million litres of oil. (CBC)

Naish says it shouldn’t take so many disasters for the government to act, pointing to the “chronic problems” found on the Saskatchewan line and the lack of fines or train shutdowns ordered by Transport Canada.

“Sometimes regulators have to drop the hammer [on railways],” Naish said.

In Saskatchewan, “there was all kinds of opportunity for regulatory action before the accidents actually occurred,” he said.

‘Tighter controls’ over industry needed, TSB warns

In March, the TSB issued two rail safety advisories warning Transport Canada to overhaul the track safety rules for routes that carry heavy volumes of dangerous goods.

“We’re asking them to put improved standards and maybe tighter controls,” Johnston said.

Transport Canada responded in April by issuing three ministerial orders. They instructed railways to improve the quality and frequency of track inspections.

The federal regulator also called on rail companies to develop and revise new track safety rules.

But that’s a problem, according to Bruce Campbell, a professor of environmental studies at York University who wrote a book on the Lac-Mégantic disaster.

“The government touts its rigorous regulatory practices, but in reality, risk management is left to the companies,” he said. “In an ideal world, Transport Canada would have the science and the resources to independently evaluate and revise the rules itself.”

After the 2013 Lac-Mégantic catastrophe, the government and railways adopted tougher safety measures for shipping dangerous goods, including redesigning oil tanker cars.

Yet derailments and spills keep happening, Campbell said.

“Guernsey dodged a bullet,” he said. “What happens if the next time it’s in a large community like Toronto or Montreal or Vancouver or Winnipeg?

“That’s my worry.”

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Trump attends UFC championship fight in New York, taking a break from Cabinet picks

Published

10 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump walked out to a roaring standing ovation just ahead of the start of the UFC pay-per-view card at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, combining two things close to his heart: fierce battles inside the octagon and New York City.

Trump was accompanied by UFC President Dana White and the pair headed to their cageside seats to Kid Rock’s “American Bad Ass.”

UFC aired a video package of Trump’s road to reclaiming the White House, calling it, “The great comeback in American History,” while fans stood and applauded. Trump, wearing a red tie, pumped his fist toward the crowd when the video ended.

The president-elect also had his clenched fists pumping back and forth and briefly danced to the Village People’s “YMCA” just outside the cage. He later again thrust his fist skyward as “Takin’ Care of Business” played.

Elon Musk, picked by Trump to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., joined the president-elect and White at the Garden, as did Robert Kennedy Jr., Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services in his incoming administration.

Trump shook hands with the UFC broadcast team that included Joe Rogan. Rogan hosted Trump on his podcast for hours in the final stages of the campaign ahead of his election win last week. The announcers for the pay-per-view audience later declared, “Festive doesn’t even begin to describe” the scene before later proclaiming, “47’s in the building. Let’s go.”

The MSG crowd chanted “USA! USA!” right before the main card was about to start and then again throughout the action. After a year delay, Stipe Miocic is getting his shot at a third heavyweight championship reign when he battles current champion Jon Jones in the main event at UFC 309.

Trump is a longtime UFC enthusiast and frequent attendee of major fights. He made promoting hypermasculine tones a signature of his campaign — as he looked to further widen the gap among male voters between himself and his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump and his top supporters embraced alpha-male terms and often accentuated them with vulgar and demeaning language.

While campaigning, Trump appeared frequently on podcasts, gaming platforms, and with key supporters who described a vote for Trump as a way to demonstrate true manliness. While Trump taped a podcast with Rogan, who himself has spoken about hypermasculinity, Harris failed to do a similar appearance, citing scheduling conflicts.

A return to Madison Square Garden means revisiting the place where a comedian caused an uproar at a Trump rally last month by likening Puerto Rico to a “floating island of garbage.” Yet Trump continues to relish visits to New York, where he lived for decades, before moving to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.

Trump’s son, Don Jr., also attended the fight.

Except for a day trip to Washington this week to meet for nearly two hours with President Joe Biden, and separately address House Republicans, Trump has been spending his time since his Election Day victory at Mar-a-Lago. The club has hosted galas and conservative events throughout the week.

Trump has been close to White for more than two decades.

White hosted a 2001 UFC battle at Trump Taj Mahal, a former casino-hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Trump has frequently attended UFC matches since – including during his 2024 campaign. Trump has turned up at fights recently with famous entourages, including White, musician Kid Rock and former Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson.

In 2018, during Trump’s first term, he and White starred in a UFC video where the then-president was called the “Combatant In Chief.”

As Trump has strengthened his grip on the national Republican Party over the last near-decade, White’s personal political profile has grown exponentially. White spoke at the 2016 and 2020 Republican conventions, and when the party gathered in Milwaukee this past July. He also addressed the crowd at Trump’s Florida victory party in the wee hours of the morning after Election Day.

“This is what happens when the machine comes after you,” White said then. “What you’ve seen over the last several years, this is what it looks like: couldn’t stop him. He keeps going forward. He doesn’t quit.”

_____

Weissert reported from Palm Beach, Florida.

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Spencer Martin notches 1st career shutout as Hurricanes put 4 past Senators

Published

11 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Carolina’s Spencer Martin recorded his first career shutout and made 24 saves as the Hurricanes beat the Ottawa Senators 4-0 on Saturday night.

Martin, in just his second start of the season and his first home appearance, made 11 of his saves in the third period.

Jordan Martinook, Sebastian Aho, rookie Jackson Blake and William Carrier scored goals. Shayne Gostisbehere and Jordan Staal each provided two assists, and Martin Necas notched an assist to push his career-best points streak to 12 games.

Ottawa was blanked for the first time this season, and Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg also stopped 24 shots.

Martinook scored his sixth goal in his last six games eight minutes into the first period. Aho’s first goal in eight games came eight seconds into a power play in the final minute of the second period.

Blake’s power-play goal 43 seconds into the third period made it 3-0, and Carrier scored an empty-netter.

Takeaways

Senators: A three-game points streak ended in part because Ottawa faltered on special teams after not allowing a power-play goal in its previous four games. It went 0 for 4 on power plays.

Hurricanes: Carolina hasn’t lost consecutive games this season, returning from a three-game swing to the Western Conference to win its sixth consecutive home game.

Key moment

The Hurricanes had gone 1 for 13 on power plays across three games before converting twice in 85 seconds of game time.

Key stat

Martin became the third Carolina goaltender to notch a victory this season.

Up next

The Hurricanes host the St. Louis Blues Sunday, while the Senators begin a four-game homestand Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers.

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AP NHL:

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Mitch Marner scores in overtime as Maple Leafs down Oilers 4-3

Published

11 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Mitch Marner scored 40 seconds into overtime as the Toronto Maple Leafs downed the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on Saturday night.

Bobby McMann, with two, and Matthew Knies had the other goals for Toronto (11-6-2). Anthony Stolarz made 27 saves. Marner added an assist for a two-point night.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, with a goal and an assist each, and Adam Henrique replied for Edmonton (9-7-2), which saw its three-game winning streak snapped. Stuart Skinner stopped 18 shots.

The Oilers lost defenceman Darnell Nurse after he took a hit to the head from Leafs winger Ryan Reaves in the second period.

With Toronto down 2-1 in the third, Knies and McMann scored 59 seconds apart to give Toronto a 3-2 lead before Draisaitl tied things with 1:29 left in regulation and Skinner on the bench for an extra attacker. Marner ended it in the extra period on a 2-on-1 with John Tavares.

McDavid became the fourth-fastest player in NHL history — behind only Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Mike Bossy — to reach 1,000 career points Thursday at home against the Nashville Predators.

Takeaways

Leafs: Toronto captain Auston Matthews missed a sixth straight game with an undisclosed upper-body injury. The star centre, who remains listed as day-to-day, hasn’t played since Nov. 3.

Oilers: Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch dressed 11 forwards and seven defenceman with winger Viktor Arvidsson out injured for a second consecutive game.

Key moment

Nurse wheeled around Edmonton’s net early in the second before getting caught up high by Reaves. The blueliner was left bloodied and had to be helped to the locker room. Reaves was assessed a five-minute match penalty and booted from the game.

Key stat

Leafs forward Max Domi has now gone 13 games without registering a point. The 29-year-old has no goals and six assists this season.

Up next

Edmonton continues a three-game road trip Monday against the Montreal Canadiens. Toronto hosts the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday in the second of three straight contests at Scotiabank Arena.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.

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