By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
Rail safety has been on the minds of state and local officials in recent weeks, following the July 6 train derailment and subsequent explosion of several tankers in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, which resulted in a massive fire that destroyed a large portion of the community and caused numerous deaths.
Gov. Paul LePage attended a memorial mass for the 47 victims on July 27, meeting with Lac-Megantic Mayor Colette Roy-Laroche and other Canadian dignitaries prior to the service.
“With a heavy heart, I will visit Lac-Megantic, Quebec,” said LePage. “While a line divides our countries, it does not divide our people and it is important for Maine to support our northern neighbors during this time of need.”
The LePage Administration continues to address environmental and transportation needs within the state as it relates to railroad safety. Immediately following the July 6 derailment, LePage issued an executive order directing the Maine Department of Transportation to review the safety of freight rail transportation.
Additionally, MDOT Commissioner David Bernhardt sent a letter to all five freight railroads operating in Maine requesting review and submission of best practices regarding the securing of parked freight trains.
The Department of Environmental Protection, under the leadership of Commissioner Patricia Aho, has reassured Maine citizens that in the event of a similar disaster in Maine, the DEP would immediately respond to minimize the impacts to natural resources and our environment.
The DEP has 25 responders who are on-call 24/7, 365 days a year, and are trained to respond to oil and hazardous materials spills of all sizes.
“Mainers can be assured that DEP is proactive about protecting our significant natural resources,” said Aho.
Representatives Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree are also working with officials to address rail safety concerns, meeting July 24 with Deborah Hersman, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. This followed a letter to the NTSB, the Federal Railroad Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in the wake of the Lac-Megantic rail accident.
“We need to get to the bottom of exactly what happened in order to prevent such an accident from happening here in Maine,” said Michaud. “Regardless of the outcome of the investigation in Canada, we should all be able to agree that our railroads should be utilizing the safest cars possible when transporting hazardous materials through our communities.”
The PHMSA has jurisdiction over railroad tank cars and is currently in the process of formulating a new rule on tank car design standards.
Local officials have also stepped up efforts to improve rail safety, with several training sessions taking place last week throughout Aroostook County to instruct emergency personnel on proper procedures in the event of an accident.
The program, sponsored by the Maine Emergency Management Agency, included five sessions: Island Falls, Houlton, Presque Isle, Caribou and Van Buren — beginning in Island Falls on Tuesday and concluding in Van Buren.
