By Bill Fike
While waiting recently for a passing train on East Oakland Avenue, I pondered the question as I witnessed numerous oil tanker cars rolling within 50 feet of my van: Could this train be one of the infamous “Oil Bomb” trains I have heard so much about?
For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term “Oil Bomb” train, please let me explain. An “Oil Bomb” train is the terminology used to describe the trains transporting a very explosive form of oil obtained or “fracked” from the Bakken Shale oil fields of North Dakota. This oil contains a incredibly high content of propane and other volatile gases, more so than regular crude.
One such train derailed near Galena, Illinois last March, requiring a one-mile evacuation zone because of massive explosions and fire. (I understand that the Galena train had the newer and “safer” DOT 1232 oil tanker cars, but they exploded just as dreadful as the older and “unsafe” DOT-111 rail cars.)
Upon inspection of the Department of Transportation’s website, I found that both Bloomington and Normal are not on the published rail route for these rolling bombs. Unfortunately though, I did find these extremely dangerous trains do travel through Champaign, Streator, and Galesburg. This gives me, and should give all McLean County residents great concern. Especially with the recent derailment of the Amtrak passenger train near Philadelphia, causing the Northeast corridor rail traffic to be rerouted.
Could Central Illinois rail maintenance and/or an accident cause one of these rolling time bombs to detour through our Twin Cities? Apparently, it is plausible since all “Oil Bomb” train routes are not published.
Numerous environmentalists and politicians have encourage the government to force the Bakken North Dakota oil companies, to build local “mini-refineries” to separate out these most volatile gases, to make the transportation of this explosive oil more safe. All attempts have failed.
In July of 2013, one of these “Oil Bomb” trains exploded in Downtown Lac Megantic, Quebec, killing 47 Canadians. Fortunately for us, the “Oil Bomb” trains that have exploded in Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Alabama and Virginia, have all detonated in rural areas. I guess before we can get our Republican controlled “do nothing congress” to take action, and make this dangerous oil safer for transport, is for 47 Americans to be blown up.
Think of this the next time you are stopped at a railroad crossing, as you watch the oil tanker rail cars pass by.
Bill Fike owned and operated Winnie’s of Bloomington, Inc., (Winnie’s Menswear) from 1973 until his retirement in May of 2009. Bill also owned Churchill’s Formal Wear, LTD. from 1996 until he sold Churchill’s to James Carroll in March 2007. Bill and Cheryl just celebrated 40 years of marriage this past June 12, 2011 and they have one son, Joseph, and one daughter, Carmen. Bill was in the second graduating class of Illinois Central College in 1971, and then went on to Clark School of Aviation-Flight, obtaining both VFR and IFR flight certificates. Bill has been able to trace his family heritage back to his great, great, great grandfather’s family, A.C. Herron’s, (on grandmother’s side), who was one of the original settlers of Bloomington.
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