Latest oil train derailment highlights need for pipelines

Engine oil leaked onto farmland outside of Saskatoon, Canada in the early hours of Wednesday (September 25th) as a result of a train derailment. Some 17 carriages of the 130-car train came off the tracks at 4am local time. Many of the carriages were being used to transport chemicals, petroleum and ethanol, but thankfully no one was injured during the accident.

The derailment occurred between 500 and 700 metres of Landis, a small village west of Saskatoon. It was decided that the school in the village would remain closed as the potentially dangerous contents of some of the cars were unloaded. Although the type of petroleum onboard the train is not highly explosive, the fact that many of the contents were incredibly flammable is what affected this decision, according to Sergeant Grant Rusk.

Brad Wall, Saskatchewan Premier, has said that the latest oil leak furthers the argument that more pipelines are needed to transport oil products and so avoid disasters such as this. Mr Wall told reporters that although oil and petroleum products can be transported safely by rail, pipelines are still needed and are by far the safest option.

The derailment caused a small grass fire, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which was distinguished quickly by firefighters and was not located anywhere near the spill. The fire also didn't reach any of the train cars or affect any of their contents.

Mr Ball told the Globe and Mail: "We need the rail, we need the pipe. But I think all of these derailments underscore the fact that if we think the answer is just we can just turn down all the pipelines and move it onto the railway, you know that's probably not going to be for the best either."

Crews worked quickly to clean up the reportedly small amount of engine oil that had leaked as a result of the incident. With the contents of the derailed cars being potentially harmful, it is incredibly lucky that no other product was spilled as a result of the accident.