West Virginia In State Of Emergency After Massive Oil Train Explosion

[invisible]

I must be missing something.

If this were LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) I could see the containers exploding in a derailment. Gasoline or high-grade alcohol might blow as well, especially if a vapor cloud formed first and then ignited.

But oil? CRUDE oil? Contrary to what's shown in the movies, it's damn hard to get that stuff to burn, let alone burn fast or explode. The only condition I'm aware of that would make crude oil burn would be a massive primary explosion of some sort. Derailed oil cars cracking open should really just cause one helluva gooey mess. There might be some fires if the oil finds something to "wick" off of, but....

I'm guessing we're getting a LOT less than the full story.



http://ktla.com/2015/02/17/train-de...sion-massive-fireball-in-west-virginia-video/

This is shale oil. It's a little different than good old fashioned regular crude oil, as you're used to. It contains several additional impurities which make it much more volatile, things like methane, toulene, benzine, and a few other -ene's and ine's. There have been a fair amount of these train wrecks since the start of the fracking boom, that have resulted in similar fires. A bit of searching will provide you with plenty of links if you want to verify this or check it out further.

 

[enhanced_deficit]

Because they're about to get blamed for it, once the NTSB completes their sham "investigation". Sure seems like I called that one correctly in my previous post, doesn't it? Now of course the pressure will be turned up to build that pipeline, so that our nation's fracking industry can be safe from those evil and dangerous arabs.

Let's wait till all the facts are outed in MSM.

 

[Uriel999]

I see lots of things to ban here: fire, trains, oil, railroads, derailed trains, drinking water and West Virginia. That should resolve the problem.

 

[nobody's_hero]

Whether or not it was staged, it will be exploited.

 

[KCIndy]

This is shale oil. It's a little different than good old fashioned regular crude oil, as you're used to. It contains several additional impurities which make it much more volatile, things like methane, toulene, benzine, and a few other -ene's and ine's. There have been a fair amount of these train wrecks since the start of the fracking boom, that have resulted in similar fires. A bit of searching will provide you with plenty of links if you want to verify this or check it out further.

Ah.... I haven't had time to look it up, but what you're saying makes a lot of sense. So what they're transporting isn't simple crude oil. It's more like a chemical soup that would be EXTREMELY prone to outgassing in the heat of a fire. Enough gas pressure builds in a tank car to blow it apart, and the gas pressure explosion would create more than enough flammable vapors to make for a big ol' ker-boom.

Thanks for the info!

 

[invisible]

And now, right on cue, here comes the fear-mongering:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ap-exclusive-fuel-hauling-trains-derail-10-year-29139529

The federal government predicts that trains hauling crude oil or ethanol will derail an average of 10 times a year over the next two decades, causing more than $4 billion in damage and possibly killing hundreds of people if an accident happens in a densely populated part of the U.S.

The projection comes from a previously unreported analysis by the Department of Transportation that reviewed the risks of moving vast quantities of both fuels across the nation and through major cities. The study completed last July took on new relevance this week after a train loaded with crude derailed in West Virginia, sparked a spectacular fire and forced the evacuation of hundreds of families.

The volume of flammable liquids transported by rail has risen dramatically over the last decade, driven mostly by the oil shale boom in North Dakota and Montana.

At least nine of the trains, including the CSX train that derailed in West Virginia, were hauling oil from the Northern Plains' Bakken region that is known for being highly volatile. Of those, seven resulted in fires.

Both the West Virginia accident and a Jan. 14 oil train derailment and fire in Ontario involved recently built tank cars that were supposed to be an improvement to a decades-old model in wide use that has proven susceptible to spills, fires and explosions.

Industry representatives say it could take a decade to retrofit and modify more than 50,000 tank cars, not the three years anticipated by federal officials, who assumed many cars would be put to new use hauling less-volatile Canadian tar-sands oil.

Next will come the argument that it will be so much safer to move that oil out of ND with a pipeline, and that the pipeline can be built more quickly and cheaply than better rail tankers. And isn't it convenient that they had this study ready to go since July, but have never bothered to break it out until now?

 

[pcosmar]

2 years ago. Lac-Megantic Quebec. It was a huge story here.

Same thing, tankers of oil derailed and burned half the town. 50 people died.

That was another highly questionable incident.

Aside from common things like dead-man switches disabled to the fact that crude oil Does Not Explode.

That was entirely preventable,, and was not.

It was also used to promote Keystone.
http://instituteforenergyresearch.o...dy-in-quebec-highlights-need-for-keystone-xl/
(just one of many links)

 

[osan]

BREAKING- a sketch of the suspect has been released:

Walton Coggins blew the train up??

 

[pcosmar]

Canada rail crash stirs debate over Keystone XL pipeline delay
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jul/12/world/la-fg-wn-canada-rail-crash-keystone-pipeline-20130711

Could Pipelines Have Prevented Quebec's Tragedy?
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/robert-waite/lac-megantic_b_3558728.html

Keystone Pipeline Could Get Boost Following Canadian Train Accident
http://freebeacon.com/politics/keystone-pipeline-could-get-boost-following-canadian-train-accident/

Proponents of the Keystone XL Pipeline have noted that a rejection of the project by the Obama administration would likely mean additional crude oil transported by rail, and hence a heightened risk of future accidents.

If this "accident" is not tied to Keystone,, I will be very surprised.

 

[enhanced_deficit]

Gasoline tanker explodes near Route 130 in Pennsauken
on February 23, 2015 at 11:56 AM, updated February 23, 2015 at 11:00 PM

A gasoline tanker overturned and exploded Monday morning at an on-ramp from Route 90 to Route 130 in Pennsauken, causing flames and smoke near the Betsy Ross Bridge, reports say.
Numerous homes were evacuated nearby as the tanker, which was holding 8,900 gallons of gasoline, burns and the product travels through a residential area, according to various media reports including 6 ABC, which reported the accident occurred around 11 a.m.

http://www.nj.com/camden/index.ssf/2015/02/gasoline_tanker_explosion_closes_route_130_in_penn.html



[h=1]28 injured, 4 critical, in Southern California commuter train collision with truck[/h] Published February 24, 2015

A commuter train crashed into a truck and derailed Tuesday, injuring dozens of people in farmland northwest of Los Angeles. (Ventura County Star)


At least 28 people were injured, including four critically, Tuesday morning when a Metrolink commuter train collided with a tractor-trailer truck on the tracks in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles.
Oxnard police Sgt. Denise Shadinger said the crash was reported at 5:44 a.m. Shadinger said the truck became fully engulfed in flames. Authorities are describing the scene as a multi-casualty incident.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/02/2...r-train-crashes-into-truck-injuries-reported/

 

[Natural Citizen]

Huge fire: Train carrying crude oil derails in Canada...

A train carrying crude oil has derailed in Northern Ontario and burst into flames. This is the fourth derailment in the province since the start of the year.

http://rt.com/news/238693-canada-train-derailment-gogama/

 

[JK/SEA]

gee, if we only had a pipeline, none of this would be happening...

yawn..