Oil Train Safety Megathread. Updated July 30, 2023

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50. New Directive Targets Crude-by-Rail Safety

Sep 29

New Directive Targets Crude-by-Rail Safety

Posted by Federal Railroad Administrator Sarah E. Feinberg

... {W}e know that safety is something that has to be addressed every single day. And that is why we have said from the beginning that when we see a need for us to act to improve safety, we will not hesitate. ... Today, we took another action – FRA issued a directive to owners of certain tank cars with possible flaws.

The potential flaws are in the welds at the bottom of the tank car where two components allow for product to be offloaded. Some of the welds do not meet federal safety regulations or industry specifications. ... The good news is these flawed welds have been found in only a small portion of the U.S. tank car fleet that were manufactured by American Railcar Industries and ACF Industries between 2009 and 2015.

These tank cars – DOT 111s – are used to transport a wide variety of products, everything from crude oil to corn syrup. ... The directive instructs tank car owners to take immediate steps to determine if one of these tank cars is in their fleets and, if so, to inspect and repair those tank cars if necessary.

Effective today, tank car owners must:
•Identify within 30 days whether they hold any of these tank cars in their fleets and report those to FRA.
•Prior to any of these tank cars being put into service, visually inspect to verify there is no visible leak from the welds, and confirm that the tank car is in safe condition for transportation.
•Put the identified tank cars through ultrasonic and surface inspections to fully examine the welds. If flaws are detected, the tank cars must be taken out of service immediately and repaired.

Tank cars with confirmed flaws that transport hazmat must be tested and fixed faster than tank cars that transport other products. The tank cars that are in storage currently and have flaws have more time.

Railworthiness Directive for Certain Railroad Tank Cars Equipped with Bottom Outlet Valve Assembly and Constructed by American Railcar Industries and ACF Industries.

30 Sep 2016
NUMBER: 2016-01
URL:
TYPE: Railroad Safety
SUBJECT: Accident Reduction
ABSTRACT: On September 30, 2016, FRA issued a Railworthiness Directive (Directive or RWD) to all owners of Department of Transportation (DOT) specification 111 general purpose tank cars. This document announces FRA’s issuance of the RWD and its availability on FRA’s website.

Download PDF Document

Rail agency alerts tank car owners to potential defects

By Amy Dalrymple on Sep 30, 2016 at 3:55 p.m.

WASHINGTON - The Federal Railroad Administration has identified potential flaws in some DOT-111 tank cars that carry crude oil and other hazardous liquids and is asking owners to take immediate action.

The FRA said it has identified potential defects in a small portion of the U.S. tank car fleet manufactured by American Railcar Industries and ACF Industries between 2009 and 2015 that could cause leaks of hazardous liquids.
....

Amy Dalrymple is a Forum News Service reporter stationed in the Oil Patch. She can be reached at [e-mail] or [phone].

New FRA Directive Targets Crude-by-Rail Safety

By Tammy Waitt - September 30, 2016