Economy

Laura Hancock
Laura.Hancock@trib.com
@laurahancock
307-266-0581
12 hours ago

DOUGLAS -- If a train carrying oil through Fort Laramie derails, the volunteer fire department, which sometimes has as few as three able-bodied members, could be easily overwhelmed, said town Councilwoman Joyce Evans.

It could take hours for hazardous materials specialists from the state or the railroad company to arrive on scene, given Fort Laramie’s remoteness, Evans told members of the Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Interim Committee, which met Tuesday at the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy. ... “We need to find a way to make that (emergency preparedness) process better for the rural communities and areas where there aren’t people living in great concentrations,” said Evans, who said in addition to trains rolling through town, there is a station where oil is loaded onto train cars.

In recent years, an increased number of trains are transporting oil, which can be explosive in an accident. The committee is studying the issue and whether to sponsor a bill in the 2016 session to address safety.
....

Megan Taylor, of the Powder River Basin Resource Council, said there have been five accidents of trains carrying oil this year in North America -- in Mount Carbon, West Virginia; Galena, Illinois; Heimdal, North Dakota; and two in Ontario, Canada. ... She gave lawmakers a copy of the Minnesota law, enacted in 2014, as an example of increased protections for communities. The law increases the number of inspectors at the state department of transportation, and requires railroad companies to submit disaster prevention plans to the state.