(The following article by Tom Lochner was posted on the Contra Costa Times website on April 15.)
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif. — The Federal Railroad Administration will investigate the storage of some railroad tank cars along the Hercules waterfront amid confusion over how long they have been there, what they contain and who owns the cargo, a spokesman for the agency said Thursday.
Several residents who live near the waterfront told the Times that the cars have been there for several months. They are concerned that, besides being an eyesore, the cars might contain chemicals that could leak into the environment. Hercules Mayor Frank Batara said he has seen the waterfront clear of any railroad cars several times in the past few months.
As of Thursday, there were about 40 tank cars on a siding of the Union Pacific main line between the defunct Hercules Powder plant and the Pinole city line.
Union Pacific spokesman John Bromley said Wednesday the cars contain ethanol, destined for two refineries. The cars are labeled “Liquefied Petroleum Gas.” Ethanol is a gasoline additive.
A spokesman for the ConocoPhillips refinery in Rodeo said he does not believe any shipment of ethanol is going to his refinery. Ethanol is usually added to the gasoline elsewhere, said the spokesman, Bill Tanner.
Rodeo-Hercules Fire Battalion Chief Alan Biagi said Tuesday the city has had no bad experience with tank cars other than an occasional leak of MTBE, a gasoline additive that was phased out in California in January 2004.
Federal rules governing storage of railroad cars vary according to whether they are in transit or have been delivered to a plant; and according to the nature of their contents and whether they are flammable or toxic. Railroad administration spokesman Steven Kulm said Thursday the agency would check if the cars were stored in Hercules legally.
The investigation, to be conducted by the railroad administration’s regional office in Sacramento, was triggered by Times’ inquiries after a resident, Howard Jones, complained about the cars.