Stabilize crude

As a resident living along a rail route hauling Bakken crude oil shipments from North Dakota to West Coast ports, I am concerned. Discussed in an Oct. 26 article in The Spokesman-Review, these shipments will increase in the next few years. The shipments contain natural gas liquids (NGLs) mixed with the oil, contributing to overall flammability. A derailment could cause both fire and environmental occurrences.

In states other than North Dakota, there are stabilization and conditioning processes practiced at shipment origin that separate the NGLs and gases, making the shipments safer. The North Dakota Industrial Commission recently ruled that these crude oil shipments have to be tested to meet a certain pressure level to qualify for shipment. The stabilization and conditioning processes are considered by some to make shipments safer than the pressure-testing methods.

As the S-R article mentioned, for the North Idaho and Spokane rail sections, the nearest major emergency response or environmental control efforts would come from Pasco or Whitefish, Montana. Local fire departments could have difficulty handling major events. Contacting your government officials to speak to their counterparts in North Dakota or at the federal level could help.

Dave Pietz

Sandpoint