To: Governor Tom Wolf
Ban Oil Trains in Philadelphia
It is a miracle that trains carrying highly dangerous and volatile crude oil derailed twice in the past year in Philadelphia without causing significant damage or harm-- but after the deadly oil train crash in Quebec in 2013, we know that Philadelphia truly got lucky. We need to ban these dangerous oil trains from traveling through our cities.
Why is this important?
Last weekend another train carrying crude oil derailed in South Philadelphia, within a mile of thousands of homes. Just like last year, when a train derailed off the tracks in Philly and dangled over I-76, the city’s residents got lucky and there was no significant damage and no one was hurt.
The National Safety Review Board has recommended these highly explosive oil trains avoid highly populated areas and rolling by schools, hospitals, and playgrounds.
Unfortunately, these trains are filled with Bakken crude oil, a highly combustible substance, and they have a lengthy track record of horrendous accidents and near misses. Just this week, an oil train crashed in West Virginia with the explosion sending flames shooting 300 feet in the air and requiring the evacuation of thousands of people. A disaster in Quebec in 2013 cost 47 people their lives.
Throughout Pennsylvania and across the nation, there have been dozens of oil train accidents and close calls in the last few years.
This disaster is a clear reminder that we need to get off oil. In the meantime though, we should ban these oil trains from traveling through our cities, before it is too late.