Train derailments occur at an alarming rate throughout the state, threatening public safety, the state's water supply and river health. In the U.S., there is a train collision or derailment every 90 minutes. And every two weeks, a train carrying hazardous materials jumps its tracks. Despite these alarming statistics, oversight of our nation's railways remains inadequate.
The Cantara Loop
The Cantara Loop is a sharply curved section of track that crosses the Upper Sacramento River. Because of its shape, trains are prone to derailment. Because of its proximity to the river, accidents are particularly dangerous. Spills are common and on July 14th, 1991 the unthinkable happened when a 97-car Southern Pacific train derailed, rupturing a tank car and dumping 13,000 gallons of metam-sodium - a highly toxic pesticide -- into one of the state's most productive trout streams. A chemical plume moved rapidly down the river, ruthlessly killing everything in its path. Trout tried to jump free of the water that was burning their gills. Crayfish scurried madly along the bottom, futilely trying to outrun the swiftly moving cloud of poison. Even caddis larvae abandoned their protective cases. Within an hour the pesticide had reached Shasta Lake, leaving in its wake a 38-mile stretch of river that lay devoid of life.
Following the disaster, California's legislature directed the California Public Utilities Commission to adopt special regulations to reduce serious accidents at local hazard sites - like the Cantara Loop. Over the next few years, more than 20 dangerous sections of track were identified statewide and, in 1997, the state finally and formally adopted new rules to curtail accidents. Immediately they were challenged in court by the Union Pacific Railroad. After years of legal wrangling, in 2003, a federal court ruled against the state's efforts to prevent derailments citing federal jurisdiction under the interstate commerce clause of the Constitution.
The Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966 primarily to "promulgate and enforce rail safety regulations", yet preventable derailments, collisions and spills are on an upward trend: six out of the last seven years has seen rises in the rate of accidents according to the FRA's own records. Clearly, the federal government isn't doing a good enough job at ensuring the safety of our nation's railways. But the states are prevented from doing anything. That's why CalTrout is seeking to build a broad coalition to amend the Federal Railroad Safety Act to give states authority to regulate high hazard sites like the Cantara Loop.
Currently we are seeking endorsements from affected city and county governments, chambers of commerce, and concerned public interest groups. At the state level we hope other commissions and agencies will join the Public Utilities Commission in supporting the FRSA amendment.
