Rail Safety Megathread. Updated July 23, 2024

[mahatmakanejeeves]

69. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) On-Site Coordinator, East Palestine Train Derailment

Wed Feb 15, 2023: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) On-Site Coordinator, East Palestine Train Derailment

This document is being constantly updated.

I've included a link to the train's consist. The vinyl chloride was being transported in DOT 105J300W tanks cars. I don't know if those cars were built by Greenbrier, but I've added a link to the specification sheet from Greenbrier. The cars can be pressurized up to 600 psi.

"CL service" means that the cars are for transporting gases that have been compressed to a liquid form.

The UN ID for the vinyl chloride was UN1086, and the cars were required to be placarded as 2.1, flammable gas.

East Palestine Train Derailment

Site Contact:
Rachel Bassler
Public Information Officer
([e-mail])

Site Location:
East Palestine, OH 44413
response.epa.gov/EastPalestineTrainDerailment
NRC#: 1359227

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Feb. 12, 2023 Update

EPA has posted a document from Norfolk Southern listing the cars that were involved in the derailment and the products they were carrying.

EPA was initially informed orally of the contents of derailed cars in order to develop a plan for air monitoring. Upon request, Norfolk Southern provided the attached list detailing the rail cars that may have derailed in the incident. This was created by Norfolk Southern and EPA cannot speak to the design or creation of this document.

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The Greenbrier Companies 18,000 Gallon DOT 105 Tank Car for CL Service

This 18,000 gallon tank car is built to meet DOT 105J600W specifications and to operate at a 286,000 lbs gross rail load for the transportation of chlorine with a 90 ton limit. The car is equipped with a 20-inch manway nozzle and an internal tank test pressure of 600 psi. The car is insulated with 2-inch thick fiberglass covered with 2-inch thick ceramic fiber blanket. Top fittings may consist of two 1-inch angle valves for vapor, two 1-inch angle valves for liquid, and a pressure relief valve.

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Tank Car 101
LEARN BASIC FACTS ABOUT TANK CARS

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Types of Tank Cars
THERE ARE GENERALLY TWO BASIC TYPES OF TANK CARS: GENERAL PURPOSE AND PRESSURE

General Purpose tank cars are non-pressure cars that can be used to carry almost any type of material. These materials can be regulated or non-regulated commodities. The DOT-111 is the most commonly known general purpose tank car. In flammable liquids service, the DOT-111 is being replaced by the new DOT-117 standard cars. AAR-211s are the AAR equivalent of the DOT-111 standard and are typically used in non-regulated service.

Pressure tank cars–designated by the DOT-105 and DOT-112 standard specifications–are used to transport liquefied compressed gases under pressure, as well as some low-pressure, high-hazard materials.

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