The Transportation Department said Monday that it would begin investigating a Feb. 16 oil tanker derailment and explosion near Charleston, W.Va., that forced residents to evacuate and spilled oil into the Kanawha River.
Weather and safety concerns have delayed the federal probe into the accident, in which 27 cars in a 109-unit train went off the tracks about 30 miles southeast of the Mountain State capital. The train was carrying crude from the Bakken shale formation in Montana and North Dakota, which federal regulators believe is more flammable than other varieties.
“With the response and recovery effort now complete, and the dangers associated with the initial derailment now minimized, the [Federal Railroad Administration] will now begin its thorough investigation into the derailment,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said.
The incident on the CSX-owned tracks in Mount Carbon, W.Va., has brought fresh attention to a proposed rule to toughen crude oil shipping standards to minimize derailments and explosions that have increased during a domestic oil boom. Carloads of oil riding the rail rose to more than 400,000 daily in 2013, up from 10,800 in 2009, according to the American Association of Railroads.
The White House is currently reviewing a final rule on new tank car standards. The proposed rule recommended requiring retirement of thousands of older tankers, installing new braking technology, setting speed limits for trains carrying hazardous materials and implementing testing and packaging practices for highly flammable crude like Bakken oil.
The West Virginia derailment has sharpened calls for tougher standards, because the cars were newer ones with industry-developed safety features designed to prevent punctures and explosions. The oil industry and rail car makers have said the newer standards, which were agreed to in 2011, would be sufficient for hauling crude. But the proposed federal rule has left open the possibility that it would require stronger measures.
The Federal Railroad Administration, as part of the probe, will take a look at the damaged cars and test the Bakken crude. Investigators have already determined the train wasn’t speeding.
