Denti sacnperc te ery POO AEG SET IIE LIER CTT ES T ESTOS SRI ME OS BES OL piney ONE TEI Do DS pecs, Railway workers admit safety ‘shortcuts’ taken From pags 1 above. You should be able to have a complete and closed system when you load and unload a car,’’ he said. He noted that many of the regu- lations that are in place today, such as the coupler, resulted from the Mississauga disaster. BC Rail is the only other rail company carrying dangerous goods on the North Shore. But it comes under the jurisdiction of the provincial government’s Ministry of Transportation and Highways. were seven incidents here, but not all involved dangerous goods. Track failure has been one of the main causes for local derail- ments. But in 1982 there was an incident of vandalism. In- vestigators found a switch was im- properly lined, resulting in a chlorine car falling on its side. ““A derailment is the worst to fear,’’ said CN trainman Paul Lawrence. “Once those cars are off track they’re subject to being split open. Another car can go into it and tear Dangerous Goods Rail Car safety Inspections Inspections § Violations/ ANAISYPncrorteH W' Documentation Car Defects ESET EES eam Meat nk ta? Railcars Lower Mainland 1986 (CN & CP) The ministry refused to release BC Rail’s accident and inspection reports. B.C.’s one full-time rail inspec- ‘tor Ed Thompson said in the past two years he knows of only four derailments involving BC Rail, and these did not create, “‘life-threaten- ing situations.’’ . . BC Rail supervisor of transpor- tation Don Felt said if ‘everyone lives up to the regulations’’ there should not be a major accident in North or West Vancouver.: - _ Felt said the last major accident involving dangerous goods by BC; Rail happened in 1980 under Lions Gate Bridge, when 2 methanol car collided with box cars from Van- couver Wharves and started a fire. ‘North Vancouver’s CN, on the other hand, has had 10 derailments and three collisions involving dan- gerous chemicals in North Van- couver since 1980. In the '70s there Weather: Sunday and Monday, mostly sunny. Highs near 14°C. Tuesday, mostly cloudy with a few showers. ; INDEX Business..... Classified Ads..... Doug Collins .... Comics...... Editorial Page Fashion Bob Hunter. Lifestyles ..... Mailbox... What's Going On....29 | it off like a can-opener. That’s why North Vancouver people are worried — they’ve seen a lot of derailments.”” Lawrence said safety standards have been slipping since the 1970s, when CN began to introduce cost-cutting measures. He said CN’s recent proposal to eliminate the caboose is another example of safety being ‘lessened by profit- conscious management. Menard dismissed arguments about staffing, and maintained CN’s safety record is among the best anywhere. ' But he conceded accidents will happen from time to time due to unforeseen events. I Nine months ago in North Van- couver two derailments of danger- ous goods occurred- within two weeks of one another — both on the same industrial line leading out of Canadian Occidental. The first derailment caused four chlorine cars and three caustic soda cars to derail, but no leakage oc- curred. However, it did alert officials to Canadian Occideniai’s industrial track which had not undergone a major renewal since it was built 30 years ago. A replacement of worn out ties then began, but the second more serious derailment took place, in which the undercarriage of a car was ripped off, causing a spill of 14,000 gallons of caustic soda — a corrosive material that causes severe skin burns. Three chlorine cars also derailed, but no leakages occurred. An evacuation of nearby resi- dents was initiated for the first time on the North Shore as a result of a dangerous goods spill. But deemed unnecessary, it was stop- ped within half-an-hour. “We tend to treat these little spurs with less attention than main lines,’’ said Menard. “But the incident caused us to look at our procedure. We have to look at what those cars are han- dling. One car a month (of dan- gerous chemicals) would be enough for us to say the line should be top notch to ensure safety.” Said North Vancouver. District Mayor Marilyn Baker: ‘‘We’re not talking about dropping wheat on the track. We’re talking about hazardous goods in an urban area,’”” : ‘Baker said a major step to minimize the potential for mishaps was taken two weeks ago, when the announcement was made that a tri-government task force will review the shipment of dangerous goods in the Lower Mainland. Its recommendations are expected next spring. Task force director Dr. Tony Boydell said the North Shore will be a big focus of the review because of its high traffic volume in dangerous goods. The North Shore gets approximately two- thirds of all such rail traffic in the Lower Mainland. “There has certainly been an in- creased volume of the chemicals being moved ..around,’’ said Boydell. ‘‘We’ll be striving for a better level of safety.” Baker said one improvement that the task force could recom- mend is an end to backtracking of ‘dangerous goods. In North Van- couver 350 cars of liquid pet- roleum gas do-not travel on their most direct route, causing them to be in the area longer, she‘said. “‘There’s no necessity for that,”’ she said. ‘‘That’s just one example of backtracking that I happen to 3 ~ Sunday, April 26, 1987 - North Shore News ACCIDENTS INVOLVE DANGEROUS GOODS The following is a list of CN accidents involving danger- ous goods in North Vancouver since 1980. eMarch 26, 1980: Derailment of three ethylene dichloride cars. No leakage. (Report noted CN did not report mishap immediate- fy to local fire department of- ficials). Cause — switching error. *December 7, 1981: Derail- ment of an empty chlorine car, It sustained minor damage, no leakage of residve. Cause — switch malfunction. ‘eMarch 6, 1981: Collision of a‘ caustic soda car and a diesel unit, puncturing the car’s outer shell. No leakage. Cause — yardman gave proceed signal before track was clear. *March 8, 1982: Collision be- tween an empty caustic soda car and an ethylene dichloride car. The latter’s outer shell damaged. No leakage. Cause —- yardman gave proceed signal before track cleared. - *October 8, 1982: Derailment of two chlorine cars. One was ly- ing on its side and the other was leaning at a 45-dégree angle. No leakage. Cause — vandalism to a switch. *April 1, 1983: Collision of two methanol cars and a lead unit. Both cars damaged, one ex- tensively. No leakage. Cause — crew failed to observe track not clear. . know about.” Railway workers interviewed for this story criticized railway prac- tices in the movement of danger- ous goods, saying some safety standards are occasionally relaxed in order to increase productivity. The following are examples they cited: allowing a train to cross a track that another train is due on; “‘kicking’’? .a car into postion, which allows it to move at its own momentum; failing to ensure the shipper has supplied the proper documentation for railcars; or not marshalling cars properly. An example of marshalling is having five cars separate explosive and chlorine cars for safety. ‘“‘There’s always the pressure to perform a certain amount of work in a certain amount of time,’’ said CN conductor Bob McDiarmid. “There are situations where a crew might feel they have to ‘vio- Jate rules and hope nothing goes wrong. Shortcuts are being taken. They’re not serious violations, but they could lead to mishaps.” Trainman Lawrence said he - blames the company when crews : break safety regulations. , “They (rail companies) haven’t done a forceful enough job of put- *January 5, 1984: Derailment of an empty ethylene dichloride car. No damage to the tank car. No leakage. Cause — switch malfunction. *May 29, 1985: Derailment of an empty chlorine car. No resi- due leak:;2. Cause — switch malfunction. ; eJuly 7, 1985: Derailment of two caustic soda cars. One was on its side and leaking. Cause — track failure. The switch was able to lift as cars moved over it. Ties showed general décay. eOctober 11, 1985: Derailment of eight methanol cars, all sus- tained extensive d.:mage. No spillage or leakage. Cause - track failure. No ties renewed in recent years. . eJune 20, 1986: Derailment of three caustic soda and four chio- rine cars. No leakage. Cause - track failure. Weakened tle con- ditions found.” eJuly 7, 1986: Derailment of thrze caustic soda and two chlo- rine cars. Spill of 14,000 gallons of caustic soda. Cause - track failure. Poor tie conditions. (ties were scheduled to be renewed.) August 17, 1986: Derailme::¢ of empty chlorine car at CN anc BC Rail interchange track. Cause- track failure. } ting safety first. Our experience is sloppy railroading is allowed to creep in,’’ he said. Both railway men said Lynn Creek yard poses special dif- ficulties for workers because it has a steep grade; a-curved track, and thus a slight line problem; it lacks space; and is congested with cars — 10 per cent, carrying. dangerous goods. 3 Industry officials will argue a precaution against accidents hap- ‘pening on the North. Shore is the fact that the speed is limited to 10 m.p h.But McDiarmid noted that the caustic soda spill last year -happened when the train was mov- ing atfivemph.- + ; “There have been examples. where brakes have been removed from cars, allowing cars to move on their own, so they could con- ceivably get up to speeds of 20 to 25mp.h.in the yard,’? McDiarmid said. : “Given the odds, an accident should occur at some point. If it does occur the productivity re- quirements, the increase of traffic levels and the company turning a blind eye to safety should be exam. ined. It’s unfortunate but that is the way it is,’” he said. LESS THAN 100 area residents attended the two nine-hour Canadian Forest Products open houses held in West Van- ccuver to showcase the company’s Port Mellon pulp mill operation and its efforts to reduce mill air pollution. ‘We thought there would have been more,’? Port Mellon mill manager Harry Cargo said. ‘It appears it (the mill’s air emissions controversy) is not high on peo- ple’s priority lists as a concern.”’ Canfor ‘organized the open houses following complaints from West Vancouver residents that sulphur and particulate flyash emissions, which drift over Howe Sound to West Vancouver from the 79-year-old mill, threaten their health and environment. . Mill technician Ron Wilson said many of the statements made in leaflets distributed by protesters outside the open houses were in- correct. He admitted that the mill had applied for an amendment to its waste management permit so emis- sions from _all.14 of its smoke. By TIMOTHY RENSHAW — News Reporter . stacks could be measured together under a: ‘‘bubble system’’ rather than having each stack measured separately, but said it was not true, as stated in the leaflet, that the system would mean continuation of current pollution levels. According to figures published in Canfor’s information sheet, particulate emissions from the~ mill’s three recovery boilers ex- ceeded permitted levels by 1,420 kilograms per day in 1986, but similar emissions from five other stacks were 2,991 kilograms per day below permitted levels. In total, according to the same fig- ures, the mill was under permitted particulate levels by 1,571 kilograms per day in 1386. wae steam produced by some et AOS Bk a a Se mY a” ee io Wilson said the cost of reducing emissions from the mill’s largest recovery boiler, which currently has no scrubber 19 remove par- ticulate or totally seduced sulphur (TRS), would be iess cost-efficient than reducing similar emissions from the mill’s other stacks. But the head of the industrial section of the environment ministry’s Waste Management Branch Prad Khare said Friday the - bubble system would give the mill, which has not met provincial air pollution levels since 1978, a lot of monitoging flexibility and also present complex technical pro- blems. The ministry, he added, was a long way from approving any bubble system for Port Mellon. Cargo said the mill would be willing to negotiate reduction of its overall permitted air emission levels if allowed to use the bubble system. : Claims in the protest leaflet that of th nia aan am ty mill’s stacks would be incor- ° porated in overall monitoring fig- ures under the bubble system were not true Khare said: ‘‘Any bubble system we use would: be based on total number of gases and specific pollutants.”’ ‘ : Though Port Mellon, according to Khare, was still substantially exceeding “permitted particulate and TRS levels, he said the amount of particulate matter reaching Lions Bay from the mill was ‘‘of no consequence.’”’ He said the Waste Management Branch was primarily concerned with reducing odors caused by TRS. The mill invested $4.5 million to install scrubbers to remove TRS and particulate emissions in two of its three recovery boilers in the ear- ly 1980s. According to Canfor spokesman Kirke MacMillan the scri:bbers See Mill Page 4