Songer Urges Residents, Agencies, and Public Officials to Make Public Comment

Gerri Songer, Candidate for Lake County Board, encourages residents (and agencies) to submit comments on proposed rules governing emergency procedures for railway oil spills circulated by the Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

"Rail safety has been a concern of mine since learning highly explosive, toxic substances were transported through my community, yards from our homes," said Songer, "Oil companies are carrying more and more by rail. Individual trains can move millions of gallons. Rail lines run immediately adjacent to homes, schools, forest preserves, and other high-risk locations."

The rules, as proposed, require trains carrying 20 or more tank cars of liquid petroleum oil in a continuous block, or a single train carrying 35 or more tank cars throughout, to have a "Comprehensive Oil Spill Response Plan." This plan identifies where emergency assets are available and must be shared with state authorities. Railroads would be required to develop "response zones" within 12 hours from any point along the route.

"Waiting up to 12 hours, or 400 miles, for emergency equipment is unacceptable. Schools near my community such as those in Lake Zurich District 95, Diamond Lake District 76, and Hawthorn District 73 are within the 1-mile radius blast zone. We rely on well water, which is at risk of contamination. Crude oil released into the Des Plaines River at its northern end would flow almost the entire length of Lake County; its current can spread both oil - and fire. A spill or fiery explosion in our county will be catastrophic."

Songer encourages residents to identify densely populated, environmentally sensitive, and significant areas and to demand response zones within 15-20 minutes of these areas along with an explanation why incidents in these areas must be addressed quickly.

Public comment closes 9/27/2016: www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/07/29/2016-16938/hazardous-materials-oil-spill-response-plans-and-information-sharing-for-high-hazard-flammable#open-comment.

Crude-by-Rail fact sheet available at www.gerrisonger.com.