(The following article by Ashley Wiehle was posted on the Southern Illinoisian website on December 5.)
CARBONDALE, Ill. — On any given day at any given hour, train cars carrying such hazardous materials as sulfuric acid and liquefied anhydrous ammonia are rumbling through Southern Illinois.
The two chemicals are in the upper tier of the Top 125 hazardous commodity movements by tank car through Illinois, according to the “2005 Annual Report on Accidents/Incidents Involving Hazardous Materials on Railroads in Illinois” compiled by the Illinois Commerce Commission.
Also topping the list are chlorine, petroleum gases, propane and inhibited vinyl chloride. Phenol, one of the chemicals released in Monday’s derailment, is the 27th most common hazardous material transported by rail car.
Although train derailments garner much attention on the rare occasions they occur, chemicals are more frequently released from trains due to leaks and human error than actual derailments.
There were 57 instances of hazardous material leaks in 2005 due to circumstances other than derailment. These leaks had various causes, including fuel line cracks, overfilled tanks and human error.
Railroads are responsible for keeping track of where hazardous materials are traveling on a given day, said Steve Kulm, director of public affairs for the Federal Railroad Administration.
“The federal government does not maintain an active database of what hazardous materials are traveling through which state or community,” Kulm said. “That is held by private railroad companies. We have access to that information when we need to, but it’s not something we maintain.”
Communities interested in learning about hazardous materials transported through their borders have some ability to find out, Kulm said, but only to a certain degree.
“Upon request by the local community, they will be provided a list of the top 25 hazardous material commodities that get shipped through their communities in a given year — not hazardous materials per train, but an annual total,” Kulm said.
“Therefore, local community first responders will have an ability to train for the likeliest scenario should something happen.”
The Rail Safety program administered through the Illinois Commerce Commission is responsible for checking the track-worthiness of all vessels carrying hazardous materials through the state of Illinois, said Michael Stead, Rail Safety program administrator.
“Federal regulations require railroads are supposed to meet terms regarding what type of vessel and railroad car are used to transport, how that particular container is identified and proper placarding so any employee that will be sending or receiving know what type of commodity is inside the car so they can handle the proper way, whether it’s corrosive or ammunition or something highly flammable,” Stead said.
Although there were 68 documented releases of hazardous materials — 11 because of derailments — in 2005, railroads are for the most part very compliant with the regulations put before them, Stead said.
“They are required by federal regulation to comply, but it’s a big part of a railroad company’s business and in their best interest to make sure they’re safely hauling hazardous materials,” Stead said.