ALBION — As far as a state expert is concerned, if an unthinkable rail disaster happens here, northeast Indiana is better prepared than most regions of the state.
Saturday, emergency and city officials from throughout Noble and DeKalb counties gathered at Central Noble High School in Albion to hear Larry Hamby of the State Fire Marshal’s Office discuss the dangers of a derailment involving Bakken crude oil.
Railroads have transported crude oil for decades, but the difference in volitality between that traditional crude and Bakken crude is significant.
Diesel fuel, for example, has a flashpoint of 105 degrees. The flashpoint is the temperature at which a particular organic compound gives off sufficient vapor to ignite in the air.
The flashpoint for gasoline is minus-45 degrees.
Depending on the type of Bakken crude, the flashpoint ranges from minus-55 degrees to minus-70 degrees.
In short, no matter the temperature in Indiana, if there is a spark anywhere near Bakken crude, there is the potential for fire or explosion.
Crude taken from North Dakota is obtained through fracking, using explosives underground to free trapped oil deposits. The process also releases trapped gases, which are collected along with the oil. The high gas content is responsible for the crude’s volatility.
Hamby said railroads have a great safety record, with 99.96 percent of all hazardous materials transports occurring without incident. When something bad does happen, effects can be catastrophic.
Hamby encouraged local officials to study the maps that Noble County Emergency Management Agency Director Mick Newton has developed regarding population centers and highlighting areas of particular concern along rail lines passing through Noble County.
Hamby said Noble County already has a jump start on preparations.
“I commend everybody for that,” Hamby said.
Hamby said he has been contacted by officials from Porter and St. Joseph counties in Indiana regarding rail disaster preparations. His advice to them?
“Don’t try to reinvent the wheel,” Hamby urged. “Call Mick.”
Newton said Saturday’s training session was important.
“We’ve got 100 miles of rail in Noble County where we have the opportunity for something to happen,” Newton said.
Hamby spoke of the worst-case possibility that played out in Lac-Magentic, Quebec, in 2013. In that incident, an unattended train derailed in the small community’s downtown area. The derailment led to a fire and explosions with Bakken crude cars involved. What was described as an oil tsunami struck the town as 2.16 million gallons of crude began to spread.
Because of the heat of the fire, it took three days before firefighters could approach it, Hamby said. There were 47 people missing and presumed dead in the aftermath of the incident.
As someone who has been personally on hand for approximately 50 derailments, Hamby advised Saturday’s audience to keep in mind their priorities as first responders.
The first consideration is the preserving of life and the safety of responders, he said. The second thing responders have to do is make sure an incident is stabilized so things don’t get worse. The third priority is doing what can be done to protect property and environmental concerns. The final responsibility is to collect evidence.