Comments

1
It's good that the only thing that blew up at Safeco Field on Tuesday was the Mariner bullpen. Kaboom!
2
If it does blow up, its a good thing citizens demanded the SPD take down its mesh wireless system a few years ago. Who needs an emergency broadcast system for the cops during a time of absolute horror.
3
Well, BNSF does sponsor the "BNSF Blast" promo, whenever a Mariner hits a home run at Safeco. Maybe they wanted an enhancement of the display on the Jumbotron.
4
It makes me wonder, where is this particular crude coming from? What oil fields directly serve Anacortes by rail via Seattle?

I thought most of the North Dakota crude was coming to the coast via a more northern route through British Columbia.
5
As someone who froze in a 300 level seat above home plate during Sunday afternoon when it was 70F, a blazing oil fire at Safeco would be a welcome relief to the drizzly weather.

6
#4 Here you go LT, Sightline's "The Northwest's Pipeline On Rails": http://mobile.sightline.org/2013/06/24/t…
7
I appreciate your continued reporting on this. Bomb trains sounds hyperbolic until it actually happens, which is a very real possibility. This is a major issue that people either simply accept or are not aware of.
8
As someone who lives near the rail line, I can sleep peacefully knowing that my attorney relatives will be joining the class action lawsuit on my behalf in case I am French-fried in a massively painful inferno!
9
Just wait, Mr Keck will probably move your Stranger offices to a building in SoDo to save some money. Much random balloon popping will commence.
10
It will never happen. Those trains go so slow through Seattle only paranoid folks would get nervous (mostly republicans) a derailment would be a non-event.
11
There's a rail tunnel through cascades at Stevens pass. That is the shortest route to Anacortes from North Dakota. I am guessing they don't use because it would be too dangerous and they don't want to lose the tunnel.
12
Holy shit @10 you are an absolutely fuckwitted troll.

Yes, oil trains have already derailed in Seattle (Interbay; no spill fortunately) http://crosscut.com/2014/07/oil-train-de…
13
@12: That just proves both of you to be unhelpful in this conversation. Yes, they can derail at low speeds; no, nothing happens when they do.
14
NFL officials reported that stadium officials concerned about disaster risks of chemical railcars near their stadiums [often built on cheap land near rail tracks] asked the railroads voluntarily to hold back or re-route their most dangerous cargoes during Sunday afternoon home games when fans are packed in. The railroads sometimes cooperate, sometimes do not.
15
@13, Here's some help:

What is the slowest speed at which an oil explosion could happen?
An oil tank car can catch fire and explode in an accident at zero miles per hour. Assuming a slightly raised rail bed, an oil car that tips over while standing still (this can and has happened on poorly maintained rails) will strike the ground going approximately 16 miles per hour ā€“ more than fast enough to breach the tank, spark, and ignite if it hits a rock, a curb, any hard protrusion.

http://www.forestethics.org/blog/top-ten…
16
@15: Oh please, tell me more about the poorly maintained rails next to Safeco Field.
17
@15: And further, your enviro blog hypothetical has no evidence to back that up, just their own assertion. Whereas we have an actual occurrence in Interbay to use for our own analysis.
18
@13, @16, & @17:Do the communities of Lac Megantic, Quebec, or Aliceville, Alabama ring any bells? Yo, you are a hopelessly misinformed troll. Wake the fuck up!
@12 GlibReaper: Thank you for being among those telling it like it is.
I did indeed read the article in The Seattle Times, and about spat up my breakfast about what almost happened. It's only a matter of when disaster strikes and how prepared we really are NOT.

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