Public Comment

Press Release: COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU... Ticking Time Bombs: Hazardous & Volatile Crude Transport by Rail

From the office of Councilmember Linda Maio

Monday March 24, 2014 - 05:09:00 PM

Community Rally

in Opposition to Rail Transport

of Hazardous Crude Oil

through Berkeley and the East Bay

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

6:30 p.m. Gather on the steps of Old City Hall (2134 MLK Jr. Way)

7:00 p.m. Council Meeting

Berkeley Vice-Mayor Linda Maio recently discovered the Phillips 66 plan to ship highly volatile and hazardous crude oil along the California coastline through Berkeley, Albany, Oakland’s Jack London Square along the Amtrak corridor -- a stone’s throw from schools, residences, shopping areas, offices and businesses.

The devastating accidents that happened Aliceville, Alabama; Casselton, North Dakota; and most tragically, Michigan’s Kalamazoo River; Lac Mégantic, Quebec, can happen in any of the towns and cities along their proposed route.

Massive explosion after train derails in Lac-Megantic: http://youtu.be/RzfhrQZI8QI

Train explosion in Lac-Megantic: http://youtu.be/zslOC_uW3H4

On Tuesday, March 25, at 7 p.m., the Berkeley City Council will take up the matter. It was discovered in EIR documents as part of the Phillips 66 proposal to San Luis Obispo County to build a rail terminal to receive the crude. “No one knew this was on the drawing board until one of our residents, a subject-matter expert, combed through the EIR documents,” said Maio, “and alerted us. “This is highly hazardous crude, dirty, and viscous. Almost impossible to clean. The Bakken crude from the Dakota’s is particularly flammable.”

March 25 City Council item: http://www.cityofberkeley.info/Clerk/City_Council/2014/03_Mar/Documents/2014-03-25_Item_29_Opposition_to_Rail_Transport_of_Hazardous.aspx [PDF]

Lac-Mégantic Crude By Rail Accident, July 2013