[B]ENNINGTON — The answers weren’t always what residents wanted to hear, but top state transportation officials fielded questions for about two hours on a range of topics — from parked rail tanker cars filled with propane to roundabouts to bike path development.
The issue that prompted local lawmakers to request a visit from VTrans officials — winter storage of rail tankers holding propane on an unused spur line that passes close to some homes — remains highly controversial. In fact, news that Vermont Railway System plans to store propane tankers again through early 2019 prompted expressions of dismay.
“But why in a residential area?” asked Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington, echoing the questions of several others at the informational session Thursday at Bennington College.
After hearing a description from state and railroad officials of the safety precautions being taken, Sears said, “That was not an answer I expected.”
The explanation amounted to saying “too bad,” there is nothing that can be done, he said.
Vermont Railway officials said propane tanker storage on rail sidings is part of a statewide strategy to place supplies for commercial customers where they can be delivered quickly during severe winter weather, when traffic at rail yards around the region can become snarled.
110 propane tankers
Railway system Deputy General Counsel Peter Young and rail hazmat specialist Matt Young said the plan evolved after extreme cold and heavy snow three years ago made it difficult for the railroad to supply its propane customers when the fuel was most needed.
They said the railroad plans to store up to 110 propane tanker cars in North Bennington and Bennington, beginning in a few weeks, with the expectation the propane will all be moved out by early 2019.
The company officials said all federal rail regulations and those of the Environmental Protection Agency for hazardous materials storage are being met, and the tanker cars are being monitored and regularly inspected.
In addition, they said local fire departments and emergency response personnel are being offered training in dealing with a propane-related emergency, and residents are being notified of a railroad dispatch number to call if there are problems.
Chris Herrick, deputy commissioner of the state Department of Public Safety, who served for 20 years with the Vermont HAZMAT Response Team, said personnel with that unit are available in every area of the state to respond to emergency situations.
Beyond that, he and state Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn said propane in a parked tanker is less hazardous than a moving train carrying hazardous or explosive material, and that gasoline tankers and tractor-trailers with hazardous cargos routinely pose a greater fire or explosion risk as they pass on local highways through residential areas or travel on major highways at high speed.
“Our highest priority is safety,” Peter Young said, adding that all federal regulations are being followed and the area is patrolled.
He said the railroad “has confidence” in its safety procedures and in the rail infrastructure in the area.
While local lawmakers have advocated for tighter regulation of the tanker storage, including proposed new state legislation, regulation of rail transportation is primarily the purview of the Federal Railway Administration.
David Bond, of the Center for the Advancement of Public Action at the college, where the meeting was held, pressed Flynn on why a decision based on the needs of a commercial entity should trump the concerns of a neighborhood that could be at risk of a major accident. He cited the number of rail accidents that annually occur in the U.S. and Canada.
Bond said the situation amounts to residents having no say in rezoning their neighborhood to allow storage of hazardous material.
“This feels deeply unfair to us,” he said.
Sen. Brian Campion, D-Bennington, who with Sears and Rep. Timothy Corcoran initiated discussions last winter that led to the VTrans visit Thursday, said that despite the many precautions, “it could be catastrophic if something did happen.”
“These are not moving cars,” Herrick said, and the material is not a more flammable petroleum product that has been involved in a major train explosion.
He added that propane “is very safe parked on rail cars.”
Bond asked what the response would be if 110 rail cars blew up, and Flynn said there could be no plan for such a disaster.
However, Herrick said he doesn’t believe that could happen with propane tankers.
Commenting on the occasional blockage of North Bennington streets by long trains being assembled for shipment, Peter Young said Vermont Railway is working to minimize blockages by refining federally required maintenance and inspection procedures that can force trains to remain in place for extended periods, and is pushing for upgrades to rail yard facilities in nearby New York state to shorten the wait for trains leaving North Bennington.
He said traffic back-up issues at rail yards around the country can affect train schedules over a wide region.
Roundabouts
VTrans officials also discussed proposed roundabouts along Northside Drive and Route 67A, including at the entrance road to Bennington College on Route 67A, which is close to the intersections of both Rice Lane and Silk Road.
Flynn said the state is reviewing the best options for improving that intersection, adding, “There is no disagreement that in general roundabouts are the better traffic solution.”
He said the issue typically is whether there is sufficient room at an intersection to install a roundabout.
Flynn toured the college entrance site prior to the meeting, along with other transportation officials, local officials and lawmakers.
Bike-pedestrian pathways
Asked about a lack of bicycle-friendly shoulders on many Vermont highways and roads and rough pavement that discourages biking, Flynn said improvements in that area are a priority with Gov. Phil Scott. He said the governor is an avid bicyclist and supports road design infrastructure improvements.
There “are complex design issues” involved in making changes to existing infrastructure, Flynn said, but that Vermont “is in a transition stage” in moving toward a greater emphasis on including bike and pedestrian features in highway construction projects.
He added that he’s fully aware of the economic boost other states receive because they have good bike paths or lanes, and he would like to see Vermont benefit as well.
As a mountain biker, Flynn also noted the “huge impact” of off-road trail systems in the East Burke area.
Sidewalks, pathways
Responding to concerns for the safety of pedestrians along Route 67A extending north from the Route 7A intersection, Michele Boomhower, the director of Policy, Planning and Intermodal Development at VTrans, said there are modest bike path planning grants available for such projects and that type of situation would likely qualify for funding.
However, Jim Sullivan, executive director of the Bennington County Regional Commission, said he believes the grant program is underfunded statewide, especially considering the exacting federal and state planning requirements for a bike or pedestrian pathway.
But Sullivan said the ongoing water line work to extend service along the highway to areas with PFOA contamination in wells offers the state a unique opportunity. He proposed adding an off-highway crushed stone or similar pathway where the pipeline route is already being excavated.
“I think we have to be nimble” when such an opportunity presents itself, he said.
Route 7 accidents
Flynn also told Rep. Bill Botzow, Pownal/Woodford, that transportation officials will check on the status of proposed rumble strip and signage improvements along a section of Route 7 near the Bennington-Pownal line were two young men were killed in crashes over the past year.
The highway section is near Peaks Pine Road intersection.
