Training for Rail Oil Spill Response
June 9, 2015
Contact: David Madore, Communications Director, david.madore@maine.gov or (207) 287-5842
In an ongoing effort to increase readiness for State and private coordination in the event of a rail accident, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, railroads, and Public Safety Agencies will participate in training and exercise to practice procedures and equipment used in response to an oil spill from rail tank cars. The training will take place in Greenville, June 15 ? 25, 2015.
Participating in the training and exercise include representatives from: Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Emergency Management Agency, Central Maine and Quebec Railway, Eastern Maine Railway, Maine Northern Railway, Federal Rail Administration, US Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Greenville Fire Dept. Milo Fire Dept.
The Classroom-style training will cover: Rail safety at rail facilities and at a wreck/derailment scene; the properties and hazards of crude oil; the use of mapped data for implementation of protection strategies for sensitive habitat for wildlife and fisheries; case studies of previous rail accidents involving oil; firefighting strategies for responding to crude oil fires; and Incident Command Structure and communications.
In addition to the classroom training, a two day exercise will be held each week with participants working together to coordinate resources to respond to a simulated oil spill along the railroad adjacent to Moosehead Lake. Boats, containment boom, oil recovery equipment, and shoreline cleanup strategies will be deployed and monitored.
Since the derailment of a crude oil train in Lac Megantic Quebec, the potential for rail emergencies has been in the spotlight. In Maine in 2013, a train carrying crude oil derailed and 14 tank cars laid on their side within sight of the Penobscot River. The oil was safely transferred with a minimum of spillage, but the incident reinforced the need to practice and improve our skills for rail response, and working together with the railroads and response agencies will help meet that need.