Saint John's rail disaster plan requested by councillor
Coun. David Merrithew requests emergency preparedness plan from Saint John Fire Chief Kevin Clifford
A Saint John city councillor wants to know how prepared the city is in the event of a crude oil train disaster.
Coun. David Merrithew has put a motion on the agenda for Monday's meeting requesting a future presentation by Kevin Clifford, the city's fire chief.
The request follows three crude rail car derailments resulting in fires in North America during the past month, including one on March 7 in a wooded area, four kilometres from the small northern Ontario community of Gogama.
"This would have serious consequences in the middle of our city," said Merrithew.
"With the cargo they're carrying, we have to have a readiness. And I think the chief is well on his way to doing that. I just wanted an update to council and [to] let the public know as well."
Merrithew is also concerned about any new expenses resulting from added training or equipment purchases.
"I think we will see, and should have, partnership with industry," he said.
"We can't have this kind of responsibility — monetary or otherwise — downloaded to the community."
The city already partners with Irving Oil Ltd. on a fire training centre, recently located on the oil refinery property, Merrithew said.
Bernard Beukeveld, a rail safety advocate from nearby Quispamsis, said city councillors should be concerned about a lot of things associated with the huge growth in crude oil rail traffic.
Beukeveld said if there was a crude tanker car fire in one of Saint John's two rail yards, first responders would have their hands full trying to make space around the car.
"They have an emergency requirement of 800 metres in circumference to that particular tanker car," said Beukeveld.
"So here we have a marshalling yard that holds at some instances probably 400-plus tanker cars. How can you evacuate or move a number of these tanker cars?"
A joint Saint John-Rothesay rail safety committee is expected to issue a report this fall.
One of the issues it is looking at is an alternate route out of Rothesay's Kennebecasis Park neighbourhood in the event a rail disaster blocks the only exit road.
Rothesay Deputy Mayor Nancy Grant says the least expensive option is a link between Rothesay's Post Road and Saint John's Pride Rock Court, but no decisions have been made.