Brothers and Sisters,
 
I have to ask... do you feel safe, Canada?

This morning, at approximately 07:15 another major derailment on CPRail track involving hazardous commodities occurred approximately 1.5 kms north of the farming community of Airdrie, AB.
 
According to The Globe and Mail,
 
" Officials from Canadian Pacific Railway said 30 cars from the 80-car, kilometre-long train left the track in two different spots a few kilometres north of the city."
 
8 of the cars which piled up on the ground were carrying Anhydrous Ammonia, a deadly chemical used in fertilizer. HAZMAT teams, RCMP, the Airdrie fire department and CP's own crews quickly responded to the scene, with an immediate evacuation of the surrounding area going into effect.  CP has claimed that no chemicals are leaking from the wrecked cars but officials are still on alert, just in case. There have as yet been no deaths and/or injuries reported in connection to this accident.
 
The track is currently shut down and all roads leading to the site have also been closed.
 
CTV has reported that,
 
"...A number of rail cars jumped the track and have been damaged. CP officials say eight of the damaged cars contain anhydrous ammonia which is an agricultural fertilizer.

At this point there are no chemicals leaking at the derailment. As a precaution, the area near the derailment has been evacuated including three farms.

Roads are also closed surrounding the site which is 1.5 km north of Airdrie. Calgary HAZMAT, the Airdrie fire department, and environmental experts with CP are on the scene.
 
The cause of the derailment has not been officially released at this time, though the great majority of mainline derailments are caused by track or equipment failure. In light of the number of recent train accidents especially in the western provinces, we have been documenting concerns to CP's General Manager of track maintenance for this territory. Though we would like to work with the company on improving its safety, to date we have had little success. Responses from this General Manager (when recieved) seem to be curt, argumentative and/or do nothing towards addressing the employees' concerns. However, we will continue... and hopefully this latest derailment will be a 'wake up' call to CP and to the Federal Government, that the regulations stemming from the Railway Safety Act must be made into law, the sooner the better... for all of our sakes.
 
What is Anyhdrous Ammonia and how dangerous is it? The Saskatchewan Government describes it this way,
 
" Anhydrous ammonia is very dangerous if not handled correctly. Over the years a number of Saskatchewan farmers have been badly injured or killed while applying anhydrous ammonia.... Exposure to the liquid can cause frostbite....Exposure to high concentrations (2,000-3,000 ppm) of the gas can cause severe burns in a very short time. The gas will quickly react with water in the skin, eyes and the respiratory airways. It forms a substance that in sufficient quantities is very corrosive and can cause serious burns to these tissues. The eyes, which are 80% water, are particularly vulnerable. A small amount of anhydrous ammonia in the eyes is extremely painful and can cause blindness. Inhaling large amounts can cause the lungs to fill with fluid (pulmonary edema), which may lead to death by suffocation..."
 
Are the railways safely transporting this deadly chemical, and others like it, past our homes, schools and property?
 
Just under two months ago on June 8th, there was an evacuation as well as the temporary closing of Highway 2A (just south of Red Deer), when a CP train had five cars and an engine derail. The cars that derailed were carrying Glycol, one of the main ingredients of anti-freeze. Since 1979, when the biggest North American peacetime evacuation (prior to Katrina) happened due to a CP derailment of Chlorine in Mississaugua, ON, there have been literally dozens of hazardous material derailments on Canada's railways. Derailments which have caused evacuations, death, injury and/or property damage. Train accidents in Canada are occurring  on an average of three a day... every day. And each of these has the potential for a disaster. A disaster like, or worse than, the dozens referenced above.  As technology moves forward and new and improved methods of safe railroading are being invented, shouldn't the train accident trend start taking a steep dive downward? Sadly, that's not the case. When you look at the facts, I'm truly surprised at the documented cavalier attitude of some of the managers.
 
Anhydrous ammonia accidents on the railways make up a very small percentage of the dangerous commodity derailments. Even so, here are a few of the ones that have occurred during this decade in the west that involved anhydrous ammonia and also caused evacuations, death and/ or injury. It should be noted that the train which derailed in Minot, had just left Alberta after coming through the Red Deer corridor.
 

•     Red Deer, Alberta on February 2, 2001 – As a CP Rail freight train prepared to leave the Red Deer yard, five cars carrying anhydrous ammonia derailed. One of them leaked nearly 72 tonnes of the noxious chemical. A day after the accident a man was found near the tracks, unconscious and badly burned by the fumes. He later died from his injuries. 34 people were treated in hospital. Over 1300 people were evacuated and the cause of the derailment was track related (wide guage and undetected cracks in the rail).
•    In Minot, ND on January 18th, 2002, at approximately 0230, 30 cars of a CP train derailed a few miles from the city center.  Tanker cars carrying anhydrous ammonia ruptured, which released a cloud of caustic, poisonous gas over the city. At least one person was killed by the gas and over a hundred more were injured, some seriously. The cause of this derailment was track related. Over a thousand were evacuated.
•    Estevan, Saskatchewan on August 8, 2004 –  Six cars derailed while a CP Rail freight train was reversing within the city of Estevan. Five of the six cars were carrying anhydrous ammonia, and a small amount of the chemical was released. The Transportation Safety Board found that an improperly maintained turnout curve was one of the contributing factors.
150 people were evacuated for two days.
•    Red Deer, Alberta on March 5, 2004 - About thirty people were forced to evacuate a mobile home park in Red Deer, Alberta this weekend after a Canadian Pacific Rail tanker derailed. Twenty rail cars of a 70-car freight train jumped the tracks and containers of potentially lethal anhydrous ammonia residue were impacted and punctured. Three CP crew members were taken to hospital.

It would seem that on this latest accident in Airdrie, the citizens of Canada got somewhat lucky. The only thing that you can say for sure about luck though, is that it does not last forever. If we want to be safe then the railways, and all of us, have to take an active part in getting there.
 
Yesterday, it was announced that CP has increased its adjusted earnings per share by 96% year over year. They have increased their traffic volumes and their income and they have decreased their debt and their operating ratio.  With this influx of capital, we believe that it is time to re-invest in the infastructure.  It is time to bring the track up to a standard that will decrease the number of train accidents. Actually, it is long overdue.  
 
When a railway hauls such items as chlorine, hydrochloric acid, propane, anhydrous ammonia, jet fuel, etc, etc... through our cities and towns, past our schools and hospitals, right beside our playgrounds...then they have an obligation to do everything possible to ensure that this is done safely. The cost of doing business does (and must) include the cost of doing business safely. The railways must work with all stakeholders, including their employees, the Unions, the communities and the Government. And they must do so prior to the next Mississaugua or Minot or Red Deer.
 
Stay safe, stay strong, stay united.
 
Bill Brehl
President
TCRCMWED