VAN to monitor air emissions from Bakken crude oil trains and fundraising request VAN will begin the first citizen’s scientific monitoring program (that we can find) of air emissions including butane, propane, methane, benzene, and other hydrocarbons from the Bakken crude oil trains currently coming through Vancouver, WA as soon as we have funding to purchase/ rent the equipment that we need. Will you help us reach our fundraising goals? Donations are being accepted at all weekly VAN volunteer meetings. Equipment we are seeking 1) light spectrometer from Public Lab $70 store.publiclab.org/collections/spectrometry/products/smartphone-spectrometer , publiclab.org/wiki/spectrometer (we currently have this model on loan and should begin posting data March 24, 2014) 2) FLIR Gasfindir hydrocarbon video camera $1,500 to rent for 5 days. environmental-rental/Page/Default.aspx?Page=Page4 There are plenty of videos on Youtube which show how this camera works and it is the most unused industry standard at this point. 3) Bucket Brigade air monitoring program from Global Community Monitor $5,000-$7,500 gcmonitor.org/ Will you help us reach our fundraising goals? Donations are being accepted at all weekly VAN volunteer meetings. RAILROAD INSPECTORS CANT USE MONITORING EQUIPMENT! Currently the US Department of Transportation and Federal Railroad Administration are the only agencies that have rail inspectors even looking at these crude oil rail cars and they aren’t allowed to do scientific monitoring of their emissions—reference CFR 173.24(b) (1) law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/173.24 So no one is looking at this air pollution problem. Here is the Oregonian newspaper article which inspired VAN to start a citizen monitoring program for leaking and off gassing oil trains. oregonlive/environment/index.ssf/2014/02/oregon_safety_inspections_lag.html The industry calls it “burping” so they admit it is happening. The Bakken oil shippers are intentionally leaving propane in the oil to “fluff” it up so instead of putting 100% crude into the tank cars they are putting (in theory) 75% crude and 25% gas which makes their profits bigger and we, the communities, take all of the risk of exploding oil trains, environmental devastation, and at the least unhealthy air emissions. oregonlive/environment/index.ssf/2014/03/north_dakota_oil_shipped_by_ra.html These burping oil train emissions are a “significant revision” to the proposed Tesoro-Savage Oil Export Terminal permit application in Vancouver, WA. Once we show that these emissions can be monitored then they need to be added into the proposed Tesoro- Savage Export Terminal permit application process as they are not currently addressed. The permit doesnt even mention these rail car emissions and incorrectly suggests that emissions from mobile sources (the diesel train locomotive engine only) are currently monitored. There is NO monitoring of off gassing or burping oil rail cars. The application states that Tesoro-Savage will heat the crude oil cars to make the oil flow more freely (so the train wont be mobile at this point) which will only increase the potential off gassing of unburned hydrocarbons into the air at this facility to unhealthy and potentially explosive levels. References- efsec.wa.gov/Tesoro%20Savage/Application/Tesoro%20Savage%20Application%20Page.shtml Section 3.2 Air and Section 5.1 Air Emissions Permits and Authorizations VANs monitoring program will in effect force the government to admit a problem and begin monitoring these emissions and the data will show that these oil trains are not safe therefore shutting down this crude export project (until monitoring is completed) and changing the way that crude oil is shipped in this country. Will you call the Washington state governor and Washington state US Senators and ask them to require that preliminary monitoring of these oil railcar emissions be started RIGHT NOW so that baseline data can be gathered to better inform the railside communities and fix this incomplete permitting process? Governor (800) 562- 6000 Senators (202) 224- 3441 and (202) 224- 2621 or send them some emails- [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] VAN will also form an Oil Train Monitoring network to help us know when the oil trains are stopped in Vancouver so we can take pictures and videos and conduct scientific monitoring of trains from public property which is completely legal. If you live close to the tracks or see oil trains stopped in the Vancouver area we need to get a phone call from you at the number listed on this page. Stay tuned for more info in how you can participate in this key component of our monitoring effort. We will also be providing on the job training in how to use the equipment and any supportive community members are welcome to attend any monitoring expeditions. Will you help us reach our fundraising goals? Donations are being accepted at all weekly VAN volunteer meetings. Weekly meetings happen every Thurs at 6pm at the Blind Onion Pizza and Pub located at 2900 Mill Plain Boulevard Vancouver, WA.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 16:53:49 +0000
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