Monday, August 31, 2015

Milwaukee oil train bridge to be reinforced, risks remain

[Updated] That rusty, 99-year-old rail bridge just beyond the Third Ward in downtown Milwaukee which carries volatile oil train shipments is going to get some upgrades.

That's good to hear, but the danger to a heavily-populated area still remains, as you can see in this photo I shot last winter. These trains approach from the west, run through Wauwatosa and south to Illinois.


That's the Wells Fargo bank tower in the background.


The Bakken crude oil train in this March flaming derailment near the Wisconsin border in Galena, IL, had likely passed through Wisconsin, officials said at the time.
EPA monitors have detected airborne particles typically associated with fires, but no chemicals, from burning rail cars near Galena.
The train was headed for Chicago, and risks along the route were noted by Illinois media:
 Records show that oil trains routinely pass within a quarter-mile of protected wetlands, drinking water reservoirs and other waterways, including the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. 

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