The oil industry is targeting Baltimore as an easy throughway to the East Coast and beyond.
Why is this important?
CSX is considering using the rails in the Historic Community of Mt. Winans and in other surrounding communities as possible routes to ship volatile and explosive crude oil. These rail tanker cars (DOT-111) are known to leak and have a big incidence of failure. When accidents happen, the human and environmental impacts are costly and dangerous. To date, the deadliest of train derailment and explosion occurred in July 1013 in Lac-Megantic, Quebec followed by Lynchburg, Virginia. In Quebec, twenty crude oil train cars derailed and exploded, killing 47 people and flattening 30 buildings. Targa Resource, a company based in Texas, recently filed for a permit to construct a crude oil shipping facility out of the Fairfield Peninsula. If approved, this project would put thousands of Baltimore residents at risk. As a community leader, on behalf of the citizens of Mt. Winans, I urge you to keep "dirty" energy out of our small urban residential neighborhood. The long-term emergency management, environmental, safety and health risks outweigh the supposed benefits to our fair, vibrant and resilient city. Plus, Baltimore does not need another environmental injustice!
Sign here to add your name to this petition, then pass it along to your family, friends, co-workers and others.
Thanks,
-Janette
