o ffice of the s ecretary of p ublic s afety & h omeland s ecurity pursuing resilience:...
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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OFPUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND
SECURITY
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
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Pursuing Resilience:Virginia’s Environmental
Challenges
Brian J. MoranSecretary of Public Safety
& Homeland Security
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OFPUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND
SECURITY
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
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Climate Change Rail Safety
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OFPUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND
SECURITY
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
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• 2012: VIMS conducts study of recurrent coastal flooding in the Tidewater Region. Based on findings, the Secure Commonwealth Panel institutes Recurrent Flooding Sub-Panel, which develops recommendations for how to proactively respond to this issue.
• One-and-a-half foot sea level rise expected by the year 2050.
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OFPUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND
SECURITY
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
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• Melting ice adds 50 cubic miles of water to oceans every year.
• Low-lying Hampton Roads has largest population concentration of any metropolitan area between New York and Miami.
• 2-foot sea rise = 82 sq. miles of dry land inundated 660 sq. miles of wetlands submerged 15 miles of Interstate highway, 52 miles of
railway, 35 percent of port acreage under water.
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OFPUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND
SECURITY
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
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The Hague,Norfolk
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OFPUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND
SECURITY
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
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• Governor McAuliffe’s top priority is to improve and grow Virginia’s economy.
• July, 2014: Governor McAuliffe creates Governor’s Climate Change and Resiliency Update Commission. Secretary Moran appointed Chief Resilience Officer.
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SECURITY
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
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• Use “living shorelines” and other environmentally friendly techniques to curb the impact of significant storms and flooding.
• Promote policies that encourage the development of micro grids and other energy technologies that make our infrastructure more resilient.
• Make state government buildings more energy-efficient and more likely to remain functional during power outages.
• March 24, 2015: Virginia is first state to receive U.S. Bureau of Ocean Management funds for wind energy research.
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OFPUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND
SECURITY
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
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• “National Disaster Resilience Competition” HUD grant: $1 billion
• Virginia commits to using “best practices … to assist Virginia communities better address flooding, drought conditions, economic development challenges and neighborhood cohesion.”
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OFPUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND
SECURITY
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
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Virginia’s Rail System
• 3,394 total track miles- 2 Class I Railroads, CSX (850 miles) and Norfolk Southern (2,020 miles)- 9 shortlines in VA (524 miles)- 1 Intercity Rail Operator (Amtrak),1 Commuter Rail Operator (VRE)
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OFPUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND
SECURITY
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
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Inspection Area Map
FRA State
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OFPUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND
SECURITY
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
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Crude Oil Production On The Rise
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OFPUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND
SECURITY
Trains Magazing, March, 2014
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OFPUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND
SECURITY
Significant Rise in Crude Oil Shipments by Rail
• Limited pipeline capacity and location of refineries that process light crude favors transport by rail.
•The increase in frequency and volume of rail shipments
is projected to continue.
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OFPUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND
SECURITY
Recent Bakken Crude Oil Derailments• Boomer, WV
Feb. 16, 2015 – 26 of 109 cars of Bakken Oil unit train derailed; 19 caught fire.
• Lynchburg, VAApril 30, 2014 – 17 of 105 cars of Bakken Oil unit train derailed.
• Plaster Rock, NB January 7, 2014 – 16 cars derailed, 8 were hazmat.
• Casselton, ND December 20, 2013 – 20 of 106 crude oil tank cars derailed.
• Aliceville, AL November 8, 2013 – 25 of 90 crude oil tank cars derailed.
• Lac-Megantic, QE July 6, 2013 – 74 cars derailed of runaway train resulting in 47 fatalities.
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OFPUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND
SECURITY
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
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Lynchburg Incident
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SECURITY
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
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Railroad Safety and Security Task Force• May 9, 2014: Gov. McAuliffe responds
to Lynchburg derailment with creation
of Task Force to “ensure that the
Commonwealth is a national leader in
preventing, preparing for, and
responding to these types of events.”
• Task Force is responsible for making recommendations—and taking action—to enhance Virginia’s capability to protect lives, property, and the environment along our many rail lines.
• Final report due in June.
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SECURITY
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
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• March 23, 2015: U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine along with 19 other Senators send a letter calling on the Senate Appropriations Committee to support robust investment for a Safe Transportation of Energy Products program to address increasing safety concerns related to the transportation of Bakken crude and other energy products.
Federal Response
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U.S. DOT Actions• Emergency Orders
– Railroads to properly secure rolling equipment.– Shippers must properly analyze and classify oil prior to transportation– Railroads required to provide states with information about Bakken crude oil being
transported by rail
• Safety Advisories– Railroads take additional action to eliminate risk.– Importance of proper characterization, classification, and selection of a packing group for
Class 3 materials.– Bakken crude oil may be more flammable than traditional heavy crude oil.– Shippers and carriers take all possible steps to avoid the use of DOT 111 tank cars when
transporting Bakken crude oil.
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OFPUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND
SECURITY
Emergency Response Issues
• Lack of information – Commodity flow and chemical/physical properties • Capability - Most local fire departments not able to effectively respond
offensively to 100+ tank car unit train incidents (20-30K gal per carload)• Shale crude oil is not an exotic product – It is a flammable liquid – no
new special curriculum is needed • Improved Cooperation – Among shippers, railroads and local responders
for emergency planning and response• Training – Needs to reflect local risks and capabilities – focus on incident
management versus technical and tactical• Response - Industry may need to supplement response resources
RISK = Probability x Consequences
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OFPUBLIC SAFETY & HOMELAND
SECURITY
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
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Pursuing Resilience:Virginia’s Environmental
ChallengesBrian J. Moran
Secretary of Public Safety & Homeland Security
(804) 786-5351, x2