Oil train derailment near Mosier

[adamschneider]

maybe enough land between it and the river so there won't be oil in the river

That was my thought, unless it gets into Rock Creek (which may or may not have water in it right now).

[Waffle Stomper]

I think it matters what the final destination of the oil is. Everything I've heard says our oil comes from Alaska, which if true would mean this oil was for export in which case the risk we're taking isn't even for ourselves. Maybe it's hypocritical to look at it that way but I think there's a difference in taking risk at least a bit for your own interest or instead for some multinational corporate profits.

Tend to agree with you on this one.

[-Q-]

Just saw some footage on the news. Bad stuff. Quite a few cars on fire.
What a mess

[Aimless]

the government assured everyone it would be ok...

Um, as I recall it, the companies who stood to profit from these oil trains (oil companies, railroads and construction companies) were the primary purveyors of optimism about their inherent safety, whereas several agencies of government have expressed either strong doubts or obvious ambivalence about the wisdom of running these oil trains through the gorge.

[romann]

Just saw some footage on the news. Bad stuff. Quite a few cars on fire.

Yes from the video looks like at least 3 cars on fire. As bad as it is, the accident couldn't have happened at a better time (of course, assuming no oil spilled into the river). Oil trains through the Gorge are easier to ban now, when largest oil terminal is still in the plans and 100's of jobs not at stake. Oil prices still comparatively low, this can make companies more willing to abandon the plans.

[Dave Rappoccio]

Did Dog Mountain this morning, saw the huge plume of smoke crossing the Hood River bridge around 12:30. Was able to tell that it was from a single small source but man, I didn't realize it was a train derailment. Traffic around I-84 and Hood River was an absolute mess.

[Charley]

LEAVE IT IN THE GROUND.

I love my truck, but we'll never get really good alternatives until the market is forced to innovate those alternatives (and I love my bike, too, but riding to Lakeview for a week-long vacation would end up taking the whole week or more). Carbon-neutral vehicles, useful train service, useful bus service and bicycles could provide much of our transportation needs. None of that's likely if we keep risking our most precious natural resources in order to frack this dirty oil out of the ground and transport it all over the world.

[greenjello85]

the government assured everyone it would be ok...

Um, as I recall it, the companies who stood to profit from these oil trains (oil companies, railroads and construction companies) were the primary purveyors of optimism about their inherent safety, whereas several agencies of government have expressed either strong doubts or obvious ambivalence about the wisdom of running these oil trains through the gorge.

"Concern is too strong a word,” said Hal Gard, ODOT’s rail and public transit administrator, who oversees the department’s rail safety office. “I’m not worried about oil trains in the state of Oregon. We do a good job of oversight. There is an increase, we’re aware of that, we’re doing the best we can.

“Am I specifically concerned about it? I’m not""

From the people charged with overseeing train safety. The oregonian did a whole series last year.
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/i ... ow_ab.html

I have no doubt it is the companies profiting that pushed oil trains through and reassured officials they were ok, but it's up to the regulators to do their jobs.

[pdxgene]

LEAVE IT IN THE GROUND.

I love my truck, but we'll never get really good alternatives until the market is forced to innovate those alternatives (and I love my bike, too, but riding to Lakeview for a week-long vacation would end up taking the whole week or more). Carbon-neutral vehicles, useful train service, useful bus service and bicycles could provide much of our transportation needs. None of that's likely if we keep risking our most precious natural resources in order to frack this dirty oil out of the ground and transport it all over the world.

Why can't vehicles get gas mileage multiple times of what they currently get? I drive a 1991 Civic and get 35mpg or so on the freeways. In 25 years think of the technological advances we've made. Yet gas mileage isn't one of them? That's probably not a coincidence..

[Charley]

LEAVE IT IN THE GROUND.

I love my truck, but we'll never get really good alternatives until the market is forced to innovate those alternatives (and I love my bike, too, but riding to Lakeview for a week-long vacation would end up taking the whole week or more). Carbon-neutral vehicles, useful train service, useful bus service and bicycles could provide much of our transportation needs. None of that's likely if we keep risking our most precious natural resources in order to frack this dirty oil out of the ground and transport it all over the world.

Why can't vehicles get gas mileage multiple times of what they currently get? I drive a 1991 Civic and get 35mpg or so on the freeways. In 25 years think of the technological advances we've made. Yet gas mileage isn't one of them? That's probably not a coincidence..

You're absolutely right! My wife's 2004 Honda Civic gets 35 mpg at the most. My '99 got 45 at the most. How did cars get that much less efficient in five years? My 2001 Tacoma gets 24-26mpg highway at the most. The Tacos from the '90's supposedly get 5mpg better than that. I get so ticked off when I think about all the bad directions we've gone in the last 20 years since we've learned of climate change. I mean, electronic photo frames? Now you have to plug in photos????? Ugh. Consumerism has gone too far for us to survive on this planet.