Casselton, ND derailment. Photo: Dave Arnston
From Matt Krogh, ForestEthics' Campaign Director.
Imagine learning your home or even your child's school could be incinerated by a train carrying highly flammable oil. For 25 million Americans this is a frightening daily reality.
Last month — after a record year of oil trains derailing, spilling, and exploding across the country — President Obama proposed new regulations for unsafe tank cars. But shockingly, these new rules cater heavily to Big Oil, protecting industry profits while sacrificing public safety and the health of our air and water.
This summer, thousands took a stand against dangerous oil by rail by attending rallies across the country and submitting more than 5,000 petition signatures. Now it's time for the next step in the fight as the Obama Aministration accepts public comments on these new regulations.
Tell President Obama and Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx: We demand stronger regulations for oil by rail that protect people and the environment, not Big Oil profits!
More after the jump...
Right now, oil companies are moving volatile crude through our backyards and over waterways in rail cars that are so notoriously unsafe the National Transportation Safety Board has declared them an "imminent hazard" to the public.
But the oil industry has callously opposed a half-dozen life-saving measures like lowering train speeds and using safer tank car designs. Their excuse? They cost too much. It's outrageous — how many lives is a tank car of crude worth to these wealthy oil companies?
Take action today to demand our leaders stop listening to greedy Big Oil and create regulations for oil by rail that put our safety first!
With major oil train accidents happening across the country, from Alabama to North Dakota, it's no longer a question of if but when the next disaster will strike.
That's why ForestEthics is teaming up with a powerful coalition to flood the administration with hundreds of thousands of comments before the September 30 deadline. But it's going to take all of us taking action and sharing with our friends to reach our goal and protect our communities. Will you join us to stop explosive oil trains?