With the oil boom in the Bakken over in North Dakota, oil is flowing through Minnesota via train and pipeline, causing concern for safety along the routes to refineries.
Don Davis reports in the Grand Forks Herald article, Study shows Minnesota public safety workers may not be prepared for oil accidents:
Many Minnesota public safety workers say they are not prepared to deal with an oil train or pipeline accident.
They told the state Public Safety Department they are not adequately trained and some did not know what type of equipment they need to fight an oil fire, the department said in a report released Thursday. Public safety workers also lack knowledge about what railroad and pipeline company and other resources are available in case of an accident.
"As a whole, first responders surveyed for this study rated their area’s preparedness for an oil transportation incident as below moderate (2.6 on a 1 to 5 scale)," the report indicated. "None of the responders rated their area’s preparedness as excellent."
The report added: "Local governments generally do not have the equipment or personnel to respond to a significant oil transportation incident, such as a large spill or fire."
Oil safety has become a major issue after some highly publicized wrecks of trains carrying crude oil from western North Dakota wells.
Ten trains with at least 100 cars each are filled in North Dakota's Bakken oil field on average each day, with seven passing through Minnesota en route to refineries in eastern and southern Unites States. Canadian oil also moves through Minnesota. . . .
Here's the report:
Mn Preparedness Oil Transportation Incident Report
Photo: North Dakota oil train explosion.
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