Lynchburg, VA, Derailment by Michael Cover

Lynchburg, VA, Derailment by Michael Cover (All rights reserved, used with permission.)

In the past several months alone, North America has seen five major oil train derailments and explosions. Communities across the country, including along the West Coast, are scrambling to cope with the threats these “bomb trains” pose—from their radically under-insured collision and damage risks to the delays they cause for local traffic to, of course, their potential to violently explode along tracks running past schools, downtowns, homes, and local businesses.

Early next month, I’ll be speaking on the costs and consequences of increased oil train traffic for the city of Anacortes, Washington, home to the Tesoro and Shell refineries, where millions of gallons of volatile crude oil arrive daily by train. I’ll also be exploring the larger regional picture of the Northwest grappling with an unprecedented influx of coal, oil, and gas export schemes. As  community and local leaders contemplate the possibility of a massively larger fossil fuel sector, they deserve the facts on what this industry means.

  • What: “The Thin Green Line: Anacortes Faces the Costs and Consequences of Oil Trains,” a presentation and Q&A with Sightline Institute policy director Eric de Place
  • When: Wednesday, June 3, 2015; 7 PM. Doors open at 6:30, with coffee, tea, and dessert served. (Please note: Seating is on a first come, first served basis.)
  • Where: Depot Arts Center, 611 R Avenue, Anacortes, WA (map)

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