A DOT-111 tank car, specification 111A100W1, constructed by fusion welding carbon steel. This car has a capacity of 30,110 US gallons (113,979 L), a test pressure of 100 psi (690 kPa), a tare weight of 65,000 pounds (29,500 kg) and a load limit of 198,000 pounds (89,800 kg). Image – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOT-111_tank_car

 

As everyone is aware every day  DOT-111 tank cars being hauled though-out the Junction tracks, this update will make us all safer.

Irving Oil to convert tank railcars to meet higher standards

….follows Transportation Safety Board recommendations on DOT-111 tank railcars

The  Lac-Mégantic, Quebec,derailment and explosion in  July of 2013 which killed 47 people, was  carrying crude oil destined for an Irving Oil refinery.

By April 30, Irving Oil’s in-service proprietary DOT-111 rail fleet in Canada and the United States will consist exclusively of railcars built in 2012 and 2013, it said.

The companies press release below

SAINT JOHN, NB — Irving Oil announced today that by April 30, 2014, it will complete the conversion of its proprietary fleet of crude oil railcars to the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) recommended specifications for DOT-111 railcars constructed after October 1, 2011. This will require the voluntary removal of older-model railcars from service. The AAR specifications recommend that DOT-111 railcars built after October 2011 be constructed with reinforcements and enhancements that have been reported to reduce the risk of product loss if these railcars are involved in derailments. Irving Oil will also advise suppliers and marketers of crude oil of Irving Oil’s adoption of AAR’s enhanced standard, and will ask for their adherence by no later than December 31, 2014 for crude oil railcars servicing Irving Oil facilities.

The announcement by Irving Oil follows recommendations made on January 23, 2014 by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) relating to enhanced protection standards for rail cars.

“We have made substantial progress in converting our fleet of crude oil railcars to meet this enhanced standard. In light of the strongly worded recommendation from the TSB in January, we felt it was important to communicate this milestone to the public,” says Paul Browning, President & CEO of Irving Oil. “Safety is paramount to our business, and by taking this voluntary leadership position with our own fleet of railcars we expect to set a standard for the suppliers and marketers who ship crude oil to our facilities to quickly follow our example.”

After working in recent months to implement the AAR recommendation, 88% of Irving Oil’s crude oil railcars are already of newer construction that meet the AAR’s enhanced specifications for DOT-111 railcars constructed after October 2011. Over the next ten weeks, Irving Oil will continue to execute its plan of emptying the remaining older-model rail cars so that they can then be cleaned and removed from service. By April 30, Irving Oil’s in-service proprietary DOT-111 rail fleet in Canada and the United States will consist exclusively of newer-model rail cars built in 2012 and 2013, and all of these cars will meet the AAR’s enhanced specifications for DOT-111 railcars constructed after October 2011.