To the Editor:

As we mark the third anniversary of the deadly train derailment in Lac-Mégantic, Canada, I continue to ask myself, “How far have we truly come in protecting ourselves and our environment from such a catastrophe happening here?”

Every week, thinly-walled rail cars that have been declared unfit to transport crude oil carrying millions of gallons of explosive product on aging railroad tracks, threatening communities from here to the Canadian border.  

There have been disasters across the country that have had devastating effects and polluted waterways. Fortunately that hasn’t happened here but just last week, on June 24, at the Selkirk railyard, we had a train derailment involving propane tankers. There was no leakage but we must remain vigilant and take actions to ensure that we are doing all we can to protect ourselves.

On the deadly night in Quebec, 47 people died and the downtown burned when an oil train’s parking brake failed. Seventy-six rail cars full of crude oil barreled into the center of the town, derailed, and exploded, destroying the town and spilling 1.5 million gallons of crude oil in the area.

Lac-Mégantic continues to rebuild at a cost of nearly $3 billion — mostly borne by Canadian taxpayers. The people of Lac-Mégantic live every day with the tragedy and loss they endured.

We face that same threat with dangerous trains rolling through our neighborhoods, our cities, our towns, and close to our businesses, homes, schools, and drinking water sources.

That is why I have devoted myself to protecting the health and safety of Albany County residents. As a former first responder, I know that, if an accident occurred here, it would be the devastating.

In 2014, I convened an Expert Advisory Committee to study the issue and it made recommendations on what we could do to address this growing crisis. I have submitted letters and testimony to the federal government asking for tougher standards for oil shippers and have asked the state to fully review the impact oil processing proposed for the Port of Albany would have.

I have filed a lawsuit against the federal Department of Transportation challenging the agency’s rulemaking in regard to oil trains and disclosure practices. That suit is pending but, given what we’ve seen in the past year, I am confident that we can make a difference and to get the United States Department of Transportation to review the rules relating to oil trains.

Last year, I brought first responders and officials together at The College of Saint Rose to hear from those who had lived through derailment disasters in Lac-Mégantic, Illinois, and Virginia.  We learned that there is no such thing as being fully prepared.

Over the last three years, 200 oil rail accidents have occurred across North America, including massive explosions in North Dakota, Ontario, West Virginia, Illinois, and Virginia. We are fortunate that none of these resulted in the loss of life, but that does not ensure that future derailments would have the same result.

Just last month, more than 42,000 gallons of Bakken crude oil spilled along the Columbia River in Oregon. Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the accident, but reports have suggested the train was not speeding and that the accident may have been due to a broken bolt on the rail line.

I am concerned about the state of the rail lines in New York. Many of the bridges that carry train traffic between Montreal and Albany are antiquated and substandard. Additionally, the tankers involved in the Oregon crash were touted as a safer model of tanker car than those primarily used to transport crude oil here in New York. Yet the crash resulted in an explosion and an oil spill.

In Oregon, it took an oil train to derail and catch fire for elected leaders there to demand adequate protections for their people, economy, and natural resources. Here in New York, I’ve been calling for stricter standards and regulation for nearly three years.

Together we must advance the cause of safety and be sure that safety is indeed the first concern, here in New York, and across the nation. I will continue my forceful advocacy on behalf of our county residents to ensure that our communities remain safe and that shippers are putting safety first. There’s too much at stake for us to do otherwise.

Daniel P. McCoy

Albany County Executive   

Editor’s note: On Wednesday afternoon, June 29, the day after this letter was received, two rail cars, tankers containing petroleum gas, came off the tracks at the Selkirk Rail Yard; no leaks or spills were reported. “Those cars remained upright but I have said it is just a matter of time before something serious, even deadly, could happen due to the volume of trains transporting crude oil and other flammable and hazardous materials through our backyards, neighborhoods and right along the Hudson River,” McCoy said in a statement.  “I am again renewing my call to our state and federal governments for extensive reforms.  Derailments continue to happen and we need to ensure the safety of our residents with stricter standards imposed on our rail lines and the equipment.”