Southern Pacific: Asleep at the Switch : Sacramento River toxic spill was preventable--and thus inexcusable

Fifteen years ago, when a train operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad derailed along a stretch of rugged river canyon and spilled its noxious cargo into the Sacramento River, company officials promised to take steps to prevent any future ecological disaster. But another spill occurred last Sunday, along the same stretch of track, with even more catastrophic results.

Nearly 20,000 gallons of metamsodium, a pesticide used as a soil sterilizer, spilled into the Sacramento River. Hundreds of nearby residents were evacuated, and although the total extent of the damage may never be known, a 45-mile-long toxic plume has already killed tens of thousands of fish and aquatic plants and possibly birds and mammals. It may take as long as 10 years for the fish population to recover.

The spill now threatens to contaminate Lake Shasta, a primary source of water in California.

But the worst part of this tragedy is that it should never have happened. Between 1981 and 1989, eight major derailments occurred in this same area of steep, winding track north of Dunsmuir. Given the demonstrated perils of rail transport there and Southern Pacific’s record of accidents along this stretch, the railroad’s failure to take sufficient precautions is inexcusable. SP officials blame Sunday’s derailment on slipping locomotive wheels that caused the train to lurch. But regulatory officials may also have slipped.

It appears that there are no federal railway regulations pertaining to the routing of certain hazardous materials. For example, chlorine gas is reported to have been transported along the treacherous run of track that contributed to Sunday’s derailment.

The Federal Railway Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident. If they determine that Southern Pacific is guilty of willful violation of federal railroad rules, the railroad could be fined up to $20,000.

In addition, it could face penalties from the Railroad Operations and Safety Section of the California Public Utilities Commission and from the new California Environmental Protection Agency. Fines, however, can’t begin to cover the costs of long-term environmental damage.

This accident shows sadly that state and federal agencies should not assume that rail transportation is self-policing.

But it’s not enough to blame the regulators. Southern Pacific was asleep at the switch. Railroads must wake up to the dangers of transporting dangerous materials through fragile environments.