Safer Routes = Safer Trains
Unnecessary Risks
Routing a freight train into residential neighborhoods is inherently dangerous and poses numerous risks, including dangerous cargo and ongoing environmental pollution. SANDAG has safer alternatives that route the train away from homes.
Dangerous Cargo
BNSF Railroad will carry hazardous materials and toxic chemicals wherever the train is routed. According to the Association of American Railroads: Under their common carrier obligation, railroads are required to move hazmat, including fertilizer, ethanol, crude oil, refined petroleum, chlorine, sulphuric acid, radioactive material and nuclear waste. The military uses the train to transport nuclear, chemical, and conventional munitions. This is an opportunity for SANDAG to move the freight train to a safer location: to the I-5, a transportation corridor, rather than through residential neighborhoods.
The Number of Freight Derailments INCREASED by 13% Last Year
The total number of derailments reported by major U.S. freight railroads rose 13% last year compared with the same period in 2022, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of federal railroad data. BNSF Railway, CSX, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern reported 172 derailments on their main lines between February and October 2023, up from 152 derailments in the same period in 2022. The 10-year average of derailments in that time frame was 187.
The 2023 freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio caused a days-long fire in the area. The derailed cars contained hazardous chemicals including butyl acrylate and vinyl chloride, which were among combustible liquids that authorities feared could set off a major explosion. Toxic chemicals leaked into the air and water, which prompted authorities to conduct a "controlled burn" and temporarily evacuate the area. The environmental recovery effort is still underway. It’s difficult to understand how anyone would support routing a new freight train track directly into established residential neighborhoods -- when there is a safer alternative.
In Race for Profits, Safety is Left Behind
There were at least 1,164 train derailments across the country in 2022, according to data from the Federal Railroad Administration. That means the country is averaging roughly three derailments per day.
Since 2015, the U.S. rail system has been responsible for 106 derailments in which hazardous materials were released, according to Federal Railway Administration data analyzed by The Hill.
In 2022 alone, the agency tracked ten derailments containing hazardous materials, which ranged from a pair of propane-carrying cars overturned in Maine to a 44-car derailment in Iowa that sent 65,000 gallons of asphalt into an Iowa creek, and spills of 19,300 gallons of hydrochloric acid from a derailment in Oklahoma, and 20,000 gallons of nervous system-distorting methyl methacrylate.
In 2013, 47 people were killed when a freight train derailed in the town of Lac-Mégantic, Canada; 66 of 69 dwellings & buildings were destroyed within the .6-mile blast radius.
Derailed train sparks molten sulphur fire in Kentucky
State declares emergency and town of Livingston evacuated, to be fed Thanksgiving dinner by CVX rail company. On Thanksgiving 2023 a freight train carrying molten sulfur and plastic derailed, resulting in a fire and the evacuation of residents nearby.
Ongoing Environmental Pollution
Operation of a freight train creates environmental pollution, including toxic fumes and liquid runoff, as well as Structure Borne Vibration (SBV) and Structure Borne Noise (SBN).
SANDAG's 2023 Engineering Study provides some detail on ventilation requirements, necessary to alleviate toxic fumes, control smoke, decrease pollutants and maintain temperatures. The train tunnel requires the construction of Exhaust Vent Buildings located at the portals. Constant operation of venting fans will be necessary to continuously push toxic deisel fumes into residential neighborhoods. Children are especially susceptible to pollutants in diesel fumes. The SANDAG study references the need for sound attenuators that will be necessary to reduce the operational noise of fans & pumps.
There is extensive research on the dangers of train tunnel vibration and noise. SBV and SBN are serious environmental challenges. SANDAG's proposal indicates that over 2000 homes could be severly affected by noise & vibration from the train in the tunnel. These environmental hazards are additional to the dangers of excavation and construction of the tunnel system under homes.
Geological Stability Issues
Excavation and construction of a double-track high speed train tunnel will require the use of massive Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs). There is a great deal of uncertainty regarding the impact of TBM vibration in our geological setting. TBMs can cause settling and cracking of buildings, and damage to houses and infrastructure. Routing the tunnel to the I-5 alleviates the concern of damaging homes.
The SANDAG reports indicate that the tunnel would be located just 35 feet below homes, carrying trains at speeds of 110 mph. SANDAG has acknowledged they would need to acquire ground easements required to construct the tunnel underneath homes. The tunnel noise and vibration would destroy these homes’ livability, leading to massive lawsuits, resulting in increased costs and construction delays. The modest payment SANDAG is proposing to offer each homeowner would not begin to cover the cost of damaged homes or destroyed quality of life. According to SANDAG (Page 379 of THIS DOCUMENT), Table 9 shows there will be between 2,280 and 2,724 residences that will experience severe noise and vibration impacts. Community stakeholders deserve that SANDAG board members take into account structural and geotechnical issues of proposing a freight train tunnel under homes.