Essex supervisor calls for safety assurance from CP Railway

ESSEX | Recent train derailments in communities across the country have sparked concern in Essex County. Now, supervisors are asking for reassurance that it won't happen in their towns. Two derailments were Norfolk Southern trains. On Feb. 3 one of their trains derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, dumping over 100,000 gallons of hazardous materials. Another occurred in Springfield, Ohio, a month later. On Jan. 16, Canadian Pacific Railways had a derailment in Chaplin, Saskatchewan and another on Feb. 5 near Glacier Station in British Columbia. CP Railways goes from Montreal to Albany, through about eight Essex County towns. The rail bisects the Town of Essex, so residents are particularly concerned. "I've had many constituents contact me personally in my own town and other supervisors have received complaints or concerns in their own towns," Essex Supervisor Ken Hughes said. "None of the derailments that have taken place were planned or known about, they just happened." At the last Town of Essex board meeting, Hughes finalized a letter to CP Railways, asking Keith Creel, the president and CEO of CP Railways, to provide the town with a comprehensive explanation of how he intends to prevent derailments and keep residents safe. "We're holding CP Rail accountable for externalizing what they're doing to make sure that we are safe," Hughes said. He also requested a recent condition report for the two railroad bridges in their town. "Any failure by CP Rail is not an option and we must be reassured you are doing everything you can as President and CEO to keep our constituents and the area they love safe from unnecessary harm," the letter says. Hughes shared the letter with the Essex County Board of Supervisors at their Public Safety Committee Meeting March 15. The board passed its own resolution, supporting the letter. According to a report by WAMC from March 2014, representatives from CP Railway gave a safety presentation almost exactly eight years ago. The Essex County emergency preparedness director had contacted them with concerns about the increased number of their trains transporting oil through Essex County communities. At this meeting, CP Rail Manager of Community Relations Randy Marsh said 99.998 percent of hazmats safely reach their destination, emphasizing that trains are one of the safest ways to transport. Now, the Board of Supervisors would like a representative from CP Railway to come back, so they can ask them questions and voice concerns in person. "I've learned through the years that railroads have more power than God," Moriah Supervisor Thomas Scozzafava said. Hughes wrote the letter in mid-February and brought it to his town board. "As time has gone on I've been getting more and more people saying, 'What are you guys doing about this?' 'What is the outreach?'" Hughes said. "I sent [the letter] registered certified because I want to know that they get it and get confirmation that they've received it. Hopefully, I will hear back in a week or two."

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Essex supervisor calls for safety assurance from CP Railway

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