Train cars hauling methanol derail in central Texas

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

VALLEY MILLS, Texas (AP) -- Texas authorities are evacuating homes after a dozen train cars derailed near Valley Mills, including five tanker cars carrying methanol.

Department of Public Safety spokesman Trooper D.L. Wilson says no injuries or fires have been reported from the Saturday evening accident. He says one or two of the methanol-hauling tanks have small leaks.

Wilson says that as a precaution, about 10 homes within a thousand feet of the derailment have been evacuated.

FULL short breaking story at link.


Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TX_TRAIL_DERAILMENT_TEXAS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[TexasTowelie]

1. Located to the northwest of Waco on Highway 6

Bosque County sheriff’s officers and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers were investigating the derailment of 12 rail cars reported about 5 p.m. two miles north of Valley Mills.

They had blocked off a a 1,000-foot area around the derailed train and evacuated some residences by about 6 p.m. as they waited for hazardous material teams to arrive and assess the situation, said DPS Senior Trooper D.L. Wilson. He said five of the cars were tankers possibly carrying methanol, a fuel product, and the other seven were carrying pipe.

No injuries or leaks were immediately reported.

-snip-

“We might have to close the highway, but won’t know until we investigate further,” he said shortly after 6 p.m.

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/train-derails-in-bosque-county-creates-haz-mat-situation/article_791ba0ae-64b2-5a54-9c9b-90dfce0a0335.html

[vt_native]

2. A train derailed in Essex Junction, VT.

It was carrying liqueified propane.

Fortunately, it did not explode.

http://www.wcax.com/story/28279870/train-derailment-snarls-traffic-in-essex-jct

[Omaha Steve]

3. I doubt it is natural gas

I wouldn't have known without this story.

From an LBN story Thursday: http://www.omaha.com/money/railroads/u-p-aims-to-be-first-railroad-to-haul-liquefied/article_ea761863-bd80-511d-8f87-e60245daa492.html

POSTED: THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2015 1:00 AM
By Russell Hubbard / World-Herald staff writer

Union Pacific Railroad has applied for permission to haul liquefied natural gas, which would add another combustible cargo to a U.S. rail network already being criticized for transporting ethanol and crude oil through populated areas.

The Omaha-based railroad said the application for a permit from the Federal Railroad Administration is in response to a request for liquefied natural gas transportation from an existing customer. Union Pacific operates 32,000 miles of track in the western United States, which is home to many natural gas production and storage installations.

If Union Pacific is granted the permit, it would be a first. The Association of American Railroads said none of the six other Class I freight railroads are hauling liquefied natural gas.

[Cryptoad]

4. Sure seems like derailments are becoming more and more common place! nt

[Igel]

5. Non-random samples.

They happen.

But if it's an isolated incident, it's not national news. It happens in VT, a month later it happens in TX, a month later in WY.

Once it's established that it's something Worth Noticing, then every derailment of everything gets reported. Memory serves to remember what's important and relevant, so you then remember "10 derailments" and that 3 had petroleum products, and your mind says, "lots of derailments with petroleum products." The number "10" may be lost; the number "3" will be lost.

It's the same with plane crashes. If there's a plane crash, for a while we hear about every plane incident in the entire country. A two-seater crashes, it's a plane crash. And the frequency of plane crashes increases, as far as we remember.

Even worse is when the frequency does increase. To some extent the occurrence is random. Random doesn't mean "evenly distributed." It's like flipping a coin. Do it 1000 times it's very close to 50% heads and 50% tails. But it would be damned strange if it alternated heads and tails. Sometimes you get a number of heads in a row; sometimes a number of tails in a row.

Derailments probably have increased a bit. The increased petroleum product shipments have actually increased rail traffic. But it's hit a ceiling in some areas, even as it increases a bit elsewhere--a number of rail corridors are maxed out. What has happened is that more shipments include petroleum products; and those are more likely, given the politics of petroleum production and shipment in the US, to attract media attention. Which gets us back to my third paragraph.

[Ilsa]

6. I would imagine the KXL pipeline creeps like it.

They believe it makes pipelines look safer.