Safely Transporting Hazardous Liquids and Gases in a Changing U.S. Energy Landscape (2018) / Chapter Skim
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5 Summary Observations and Recommendations
5 Summary Observations and Recommendations
Pages 111-120
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From page 111... ...
When this study commenced in late 2015, a national debate was under way about whether the domestic energy revolution was creating demands on the transportation system that would sacrifice safety. Railroad tank cars and waterborne tank barges were hauling oil and fuel ethanol in increasingly larger quantities and over longer distances, often on routes passing through communities that had little, if any, experience with regular and large quantities of flammable liquids traffic.
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From page 112... ...
In this short time, the transportation sector has once again had to adapt to unforeseen conditions, demonstrating its robustness and flexibility in the face of the fast-changing domestic energy landscape. The transformation of the country's energy markets is still playing out, and therefore future demands on the transportation system remain unclear.
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From page 113... ...
Special attention is given in this report to the new regulations and other policies put in place to assure the safety of rail shipments of crude oil and ethanol, mainly because this traffic did not exist before the domestic energy revolution and has created several new safety concerns. The study committee is charged with making recommendations, as needed, on policies that can help reduce the likelihood of future incidents involving the transportation of these domestic energy supplies and to ensure an effective emergency response when incidents do occur.
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From page 114... ...
Where the increase in domestic supplies of crude oil and natural gas are being transported in pipelines that have undergone flow reversals or been repurposed from carrying other commodities, an inventory of these lines may be warranted to monitor for potential problems associated with changes in their stress and operating profiles. Marine Transportation System Offers a Model for Robust Safety Assurance Tank barges have a long history of transporting crude oil and comparatively small volumes of ethanol and natural gas liquids (NGLs)
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From page 115... ...
Railroads Have an Opportunity to Create a More Robust Safety Assurance System Railroads had little experience carrying ethanol and crude oil in large quantities until after 2005, when this traffic increased sharply in response to public policies to promote fuel ethanol and to new supplies of domestic crude oil produced from hydraulic fracturing in areas lacking sufficient pipeline takeaway capacity. Railroads responded by transporting these flammable liquids in tank car unit trains, despite limited experience transporting hazardous materials in such trainload volumes, an absence of
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From page 116... ...
In response to derailments of trains carrying ethanol and crude oil, the initial focus of the industry and regulators was on reducing the severity of incidents by making the tank cars that carry these flammable liquids more crashworthy and resistant to thermal failure. The new tank car design specifications developed to improve crashworthiness and thermal resistance were informed largely by the historical performance of tank cars that derailed in mixed-car trains, as opposed to unit trains.
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From page 117... ...
undertake a comprehensive review of the successes and failures during the past decade in responding promptly and effectively to the transportation safety challenges presented by the domestic energy revolution for the purpose of informing the development of more anticipatory and robust safety assurance systems, including regulatory approaches. It is the committee's view that such a retrospective assessment
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From page 118... ...
Not only are such data necessary to enable effective monitoring of the safety performance of the different modes when transporting energy liquids and gases, but also for allo cating public funds for emergency response preparation. Accordingly, the committee recommends that PHMSA consult shippers and carriers on the kinds of data that are available and needed to improve incident- and traffic-reporting systems for the purpose of developing risk metrics -- in that, indicators to assist in setting safety policies -- and consult with state emergency preparedness agencies on opportunities for presenting and sharing these data and metrics with local communities and their emergency responders.
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From page 119... ...
As these new tank cars enter the fleet in larger numbers, their safety record will become observable, allowing for assessments of how design features that were informed by past tank car crashes are faring in the newer environment of flammable liquids unit train service. PHMSA and FRA upgraded the crashworthiness and thermal resistance of tank cars used in flammable liquids service out of a recognition that derailments will occur.
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From page 120... ...
Based on its review of responses to the safety challenges arising from the domestic energy revolution, the committee is optimistic about the ability of industry and government to achieve such an outcome, especially through more collaboration. Working together, industry, regulators, and the emergency response community will be in a better position to reduce the occurrence and the severity of incidents involving transportation of energy liquids and natural gas.
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