Bomb Trains: The Crude Gamble of Oil by Rail (VIDEO)
Communities across North America are bracing for another catastrophe
Following violent and deadly disasters like the derailment and explosion in the town of Lac Megantic, Quebec in July of 2013, there is growing concern in both the U.S. and Canada over the increasing use of trains to transport dangerous fossil fuels. (Photo: AP/Ryan Remiorz)
It’s estimated that 9 million barrels of crude oil are moving over the rail lines of North America at any given moment. Oil trains charging through Virginia, North Dakota, Alabama, and Canada’s Quebec, New Brunswick, and Alberta provinces have derailed and exploded, resulting in severe environmental damage and, in the case of Quebec, considerable human casualties.
A continental oil boom and lack of pipeline infrastructure have forced unprecedented amounts of oil onto US and Canadian railroads. With 43 times more oil being hauled along US rail lines in 2013 than in 2005, communities across North America are bracing for another catastrophe.
VICE News traveled to the Pacific Northwest to investigate the rapid expansion of oil-by-rail transport and speak with residents on the frontline of the battle over bomb trains: