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BY1WILDCHERRY11998·JULY 9, 2016
Citizens Call for a Ban on Deadly Oil Trains at Events Across US and Canada
● The 2016 Week of Action marks the third anniversary of the tragic July 6, 2013, oil train disaster in Lac Megantic, Quebec, that killed 47 people.
● On Friday, June 3, 2016, an oil train derailed in Mosier, OR, forcing the emergency evacuation of a 220 children from a school 250yards from burning oil tank cars.
● Oil trains have proven too dangerous for the rails: 14 major oil train derailments and fires in the past three years, yet these dangerous trains still bring millions of gallons of toxic, explosive crude oil through cities and towns across the US and Canada.
● Each year since then communities have marked the solemn anniversary with events in dozens of cities and towns during the Stop Oil Train Week of Action.
● July 6-12, 2016, citizens will gather again at events across the US and Canada to demand an immediate ban on oil trains.
We are calling on President Obama, Congress and Governors to take three urgent steps to solve this problem.
1. Ban oil trains: There is no safe way to transport crude oil by rail.
2. Deny all federal permits for oil train infrastructure: Stop the oil industry from expanding oil train traffic carrying the dirtiest, most dangerous crude.
3. Protect the authority of local governments: States, cities and citizens must have the right to say no to oil trains. Uphold the authority of our cities and towns to protect the public safety, and to ensure first-responders have the necessary information and resources to respond to oil train disasters.
During this year’s #StopOilTrains national week of action we call attention to the threat of oil trains and their impact on the health and safety of Houston. Approximately 2,200 trains per week travel within the Houston regional rail network, which is comprised of more than 800 miles of mainline tracks and 21 miles of railroad bridges. The concentration of high volumes of train traffic in densely populated areas, which leads to increased exposure to train accidents (i.e., derailments) and hazardous materials transport incidents.
From extraction to transport to refining, it’s time to stop extreme oil in its tracks. During the Stop Oil Trains Week of Action, we’re going to amplify stories from the front lines of this fight, and stand together to demonstrate that just, safe, sustainable energy is 100% possible!