Series: What Do Oil Train Explosions Cost?

Bakken oil trains, passing the Middle Fork of the Flathead River in Glacier National Park. Photo by World Wide Film Expedition, Missoula, MT, used with permission.

Bakken oil trains, passing the Middle Fork of the Flathead River in Glacier National Park by World Wide Film Expedition, Missoula, MT (Used with permission.)

Oil trains are severely dangerous and radically under-insured. An explosion could cost several billion dollars of damage, sums far in excess of railroad insurance coverage, which means that cities and towns would have to pay the cleanup costs. Find out the financial risks of oil train explosions in this Sightline series.

What Do Oil Train Explosions Cost? articles

13What Washington’s New Oil-by-Rail Rules Will Tell Us

Taxpayers are on the hook for expensive oil train risks.

Apr 13, 2016

April 13, 2016

Samir Junejo

https://www.sightline.org/profile/samirjunejo/

Policy Intern
12Tesoro’s New Oil Train Cars: Too Few and Still Too Dangerous

The oil company’s proposed upgrade for its Vancouver, WA, terminal is little comfort for residents.

Dec 15, 2015

December 15, 2015

Tarika Powell

https://www.sightline.org/profile/tarikapowell/

Researcher
11Setting the Record Straight on Oil Trains

Confronting the facts about a rickety industry.

Oct 8, 2015

October 8, 2015

Eric de Place

https://www.sightline.org/profile/eric-de-place/
10Tacoma’s Ticking Time Bomb

How oil trains put residents—and their wallets—at risk.

Jul 8, 2015

July 8, 2015

Eric de Place

https://www.sightline.org/profile/eric-de-place/
9Failure to Report

A pattern of secrecy by major oil train hauler puts public at risk.

Apr 10, 2015

April 10, 2015

Eric de Place

https://www.sightline.org/profile/eric-de-place/
8How Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton Made Oil Trains Less Safe

Are lives worth more than oil-by-rail industry costs?

Jan 5, 2015

January 5, 2015

Eric de Place

https://www.sightline.org/profile/eric-de-place/
7What Do Oil Train Explosions Cost?

And why cities and towns would have to pay the damages.

Dec 18, 2014

December 18, 2014

Eric de Place

https://www.sightline.org/profile/eric-de-place/
6Proposed Oil Train Rules: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

What new federal standards will do and what they won't.

Jul 29, 2014

July 29, 2014

Eric de Place

https://www.sightline.org/profile/eric-de-place/
5A Move to Ban the Most Dangerous Oil Trains

Environmental law group petitions regulators to follow safety recommendations.

Jul 16, 2014

July 16, 2014

Eric de Place

https://www.sightline.org/profile/eric-de-place/
4Industry To Feds: We Will Keep Using Old Unsafe Tank Cars For Three More Years, or Longer If We Feel Like It

Ignoring safety reports, oil train industry tries to roll regulators.

Jul 15, 2014

July 15, 2014

Eric de Place

https://www.sightline.org/profile/eric-de-place/