The mountains and cities of California are about to see an explosion in the number of trains carrying fracked Bakken crude oil through the state. And according to a report (pdf) released on Tuesday, both the federal government and industry have done little to protect citizens from the “potentially serious risks” of such oil transport.
Further, despite requests from state energy officials, railway companies have provided “limited data” to the state and have “vehemently resisted” sharing information regarding oil shipments with the public, claiming that such knowledge is a “trade secret,” the Sacramento Bee reported on Monday.
The amount of crude oil by rail imported to California’s refineries is set to increase from 1 percent of total imports in 2013 to 25 percent, or 150 million barrels, by 2016, according to state energy officials.
This unprecedented rise reflects a growing national trend which has been fueled by the application of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in the Bakken oil shale as well as by President Obama’s “all of the above” energy strategy—which has increased fossil fuel development across North America, including from unconventional sources.
Highlighting the risks posed by this boom, a report by the California Interagency Rail Safety Working Group, commissioned by Governor Jerry Brown, has found that “current regulations and industry practices are not adequate” to protect citizens in light of the push from both the fossil fuel industry and federal and state governments.
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT