Local leaders fighting against the rail transport of crude oil through the Bay Area were having trouble convincing others a derailment was something to worry about. Not anymore.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a massive train derailment that sent huge flames into the sky and crude oil into creeks in West Virginia on Monday. The accident has rattled communities all the way to Northern California, where some cities have been fighting to block a plan that would transport crude oil right through their neighborhoods.
Monday’s derailment and fire occurred less than two days after a derailment in Ontario, Canada, caused crude oil to burn. Both incidents were being watched closely Tuesday by cities and environmentalists fighting a proposal by Philips 66 that would result in rail transports of crude oil throughout Bay Area neighborhoods.
"It affects the Bay Area,” said Sierra Club attorney Devorah Ance. “These crude trains go through the San Francisco Bay watershed. They go through mountains. They go near significant drinking-water sources all across the state."
The explosive pictures show a derailment can be more than just cars tipping over, Ance said.
The city of Berkeley is sending a letter to the Department of Transportation demanding stricter safety regulations.
"The blast zone is half a mile from the railroad tracks, and in Berkeley that means it's also in our watershed,” Vice Mayor Linda Maio said.
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A group in San Jose, led by councilman Ash Kalra, sent a letter to San Luis Obispo officials opposing the project. He’s also planned a community meeting in mid-March for people who live along the South Bay rail line.
"The reality is people need to wake up,” Kalra said.
Phillips 66 has not returned NBC Bay Area’s calls but has said repeatedly that rail transport is effective and safe.
