Safety of new tanker cars used in N.B. questioned after U.S. derailment

A major derailment and explosion of crude oil tanker cars in the United States this week has ignited some old anxieties in Saint John.

The accident in West Virginia involved new and improved tanker cars that are being used in New Brunswick and are supposed to hold together better in an accident.

But the derailed CSX Corp. oil train erupted into flames, destroying one house and forcing the evacuation of two nearby towns. No serious injuries were reported.

Saint John Fire Chief Kevin Clifford says he's been following what happened there closely.

"The more robust cars are certainly going to be better in a derailment and less likely to have those outcomes that we've seen. It doesn't guarantee they won't happen," he said.

Clifford, who also heads up Saint John's Emergency Measures Organization, has previously said additional equipment, resources and training are needed to deal with a potential rail or fuel fire emergency.

Crude oil cars rumble just metres behind Elie Elmajian's Mother Nature's business on Rothesay Avenue every day on their way to and from Irving Oil's special rail yard, where they're unloaded by the dozens.

"The big thing is when they bang and the whole building shakes," said Elmanjian.

"If there's a derailment, it's a big mess," he said.

Irving Oil officials say the company has done what it can to make the enterprise as safe as possible, including banning the use of tank cars built before 2012.

The DOT-111 cars that were manufactured up until 2011 have been faulted by regulators and operators for a number of years. U.S. and Canadian authorities, under pressure to address a spate of fiery accidents, are seeking to phase out the older models.

The CPC 1232 is the newer version of the DOT-111 cars and are considered much safer than older models, able to withstand a derailment without rupturing as easily.

Elmanjian says he appreciates Irving Oil's use of state-of-the-art tank cars, but the oil trains have made him nervous from the start and he would prefer if they didn't travel through the city at all.

The train that derailed and exploded in Lac-Mégantic, Que., in July 2013, killing 47 people, was destined for the Irving Oil refinery on the city's east side.