jacee Posted February 19, 2014 Report Posted February 19, 2014 (edited) CP boss urges halt to oil tanker use Thousands of oldermodel tank cars currently hauling crude oil on North American railways must be retrofitted or retired immediately, Canadian Pacific Railway CEO Hunter Harrison said on Tuesday. In his first major speech in Calgary since taking the helm at CP in 2012, the blunt-talking, sometimes controversial railroader told a Calgary Chamber of Commerce audience he has been speaking to "everybody that will listen" about the dangers of the DOT-111 tanker cars. Implicated in July's horrific Lac Megantic train explosion, DOT-111 tanker cars have been shown in several studies to carry a higher risk of rupture if a derailment occurs. Safety officials in the U.S. and Canada have called for immediate action on these cars to make shipping flammable crude by rail safer. "Stop them (these cars) tomorrow. Don't wait for a study, we know the facts," Harrison said. "You know what it comes down to, and I hate to say this, it's the almighty dollar. Who's going to pay for this?" Nice to know someone has scruples. Let's see where it gets him. Edited February 19, 2014 by jacee Quote
Big Guy Posted August 19, 2014 Report Posted August 19, 2014 About a year after the railway accident that caused the death of 47 residents of a small village in Quebec the Transportation Safety Board has tabled its report. It assigns blame to “lax government oversight, weak safety culture and the railway company." http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/tsb-releases-final-report-on-lac-megantic-rail-disaster/article20106828/ Are Canadian taxpayers, through the federal government, responsible for compensation to the survivors of this event? Quote Note - For those expecting a response from Big Guy: I generally do not read or respond to posts longer then 300 words nor to parsed comments.
On Guard for Thee Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 This is what happens when you cut back so much that you have trains that are twice as long or more than they were 20 years ago and you have half as many engineers working on them. We need shorter trains with more frequent runs and a full complement of engineers on each run. We also need to reverse the decline in safety inspections and oversight that the Harper Conservatives brought in. But I guess if your MO is to have pipelines built, why not make rail transportation as unsafe as possible to get support for your agenda. The report shows Harper gave a free hand to the railroads, so why wouldn't he do the same for pipelines? He's gonna have that budget surplus come hell or "high" water. He needs the votes somehow. Burn, baby burn. Quote
On Guard for Thee Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 About a year after the railway accident that caused the death of 47 residents of a small village in Quebec the Transportation Safety Board has tabled its report. It assigns blame to “lax government oversight, weak safety culture and the railway company." http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/tsb-releases-final-report-on-lac-megantic-rail-disaster/article20106828/ Are Canadian taxpayers, through the federal government, responsible for compensation to the survivors of this event? What would make taxpayers responsible? Quote
Big Guy Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 What would make taxpayers responsible? The report has targeted the federal government for lack of oversight and/or enforcing safety standards. That is the synopsis I have read. Have not had a chance to read the complete report but somebody has to be responsible for this tragedy. http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/rail/2013/R13D0054/R13D0054.asp With 47 people dead (some of them vaporised) and the Railway sold (Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway, which had filed for bankruptcy protection, was sold in January in a closed-door auction for $15.85 million.) there are a lot of lawyers looking at who to sue for these wrongful deaths. I don't think this is an "act of god" so somebody is going to have to pay. If it is the feds then we pay. Quote Note - For those expecting a response from Big Guy: I generally do not read or respond to posts longer then 300 words nor to parsed comments.
On Guard for Thee Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 The report has targeted the federal government for lack of oversight and/or enforcing safety standards. That is the synopsis I have read. Have not had a chance to read the complete report but somebody has to be responsible for this tragedy. http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/rail/2013/R13D0054/R13D0054.asp With 47 people dead (some of them vaporised) and the Railway sold (Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway, which had filed for bankruptcy protection, was sold in January in a closed-door auction for $15.85 million.) there are a lot of lawyers looking at who to sue for these wrongful deaths. I don't think this is an "act of god" so somebody is going to have to pay. If it is the feds then we pay. Oh I agree the taxpayer will be left with much of the bill. Simply because the town etc. has to be rebuilt even after MMA's resources are exhausted. No taxpayer is "legally" responsible just to be clear. Quote
eyeball Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 About a year after the railway accident that caused the death of 47 residents of a small village in Quebec the Transportation Safety Board has tabled its report. It assigns blame to lax government"... Are Canadian taxpayers, through the federal government, responsible for compensation to the survivors of this event? Yes we are, we're the ones who keep putting up with lax government. Of course this would mean the Canadian adult victims also bear at least a little responsibility for what happens to them at the hands of their own government too. Crappy governance exposes all of us to danger all the time. Quote A government without public oversight is like a nuclear plant without lead shielding.
WestCoastRunner Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 Yes we are, we're the ones who keep putting up with lax government. Of course this would mean the Canadian adult victims also bear at least a little responsibility for what happens to them at the hands of their own government too. Crappy governance exposes all of us to danger all the time. Crappy governance led to the Emerald Mines tail ponds spill here in BC and who knows what will happen if these pipelines get built. I heard an interview this morning on cbc radio about the lack of scientists/environmentalists overseeing inspections, regulations etc. I guess we deserve what we get. We all have a vote. Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
eyeball Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 It'll take a hell of a lot more than a vote to fix what's broken. I'd pretty much rebuild it from scratch myself, from the bottom up. Quote A government without public oversight is like a nuclear plant without lead shielding.
WestCoastRunner Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 It'll take a hell of a lot more than a vote to fix what's broken. I'd pretty much rebuild it from scratch myself, from the bottom up. Then run for political office! I'll vote for you! If I lived on the island that is. Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
eyeball Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 I'd rather walk on broken glass and razor blades thanks all the same. Quote A government without public oversight is like a nuclear plant without lead shielding.
WestCoastRunner Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 I'd rather walk on broken glass and razor blades thanks all the same. If you don't want to run for political office, you should provide some suggestions to improve the system. How do you propose we 'start over'? Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
eyeball Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 With cameras and microphones attached to every politician, for the same reason cops should be wearing them...politicians even more so. Quote A government without public oversight is like a nuclear plant without lead shielding.
WestCoastRunner Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 With cameras and microphones attached to every politician, for the same reason cops should be wearing them...politicians even more so. And cockpits! Imagine if the Flight MH370 had one. Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
eyeball Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 (edited) Everyone should, for their own protection. People in authority however should have to periodically submit their records so they can be audited. Like they do when I'm in charge of a commercial fishing boat...for the same reason...to protect your interests. As an aside, I'm probably going to be in hot water with some of my fishing buddies. Strangled sea-lions are becoming more of an issue as a result of the plastic strapping used to package boxes of bait. Unfortunately a few fishermen throw these over the side instead of keeping them aboard and disposing of them properly, this is sometimes the result. It's an awful thing to watch these suffer and finally die an agonizing death that can take weeks. What to do? Some have tried talking to plastic strapping manufacturers about making a plastic strap that breaks down rapidly but they're apparently balking. I suggested we simply add a field to the validation and reporting forms we use and record how many boxes of bait are loaded aboard the boat. We'd either have to hold cut straps up so the cameras can record that they've been rendered harmless or return with the same number of straps we left with so validlators could count them and verify their return. There have been some four hundred reports of sea-lions suffering like the one above in Pacific Rim National Park alone. Fishermen need to protect themselves from the public blowback that is building. Just like cops and politicians. Edited August 20, 2014 by eyeball Quote A government without public oversight is like a nuclear plant without lead shielding.
WestCoastRunner Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 Everyone should, for their own protection. People in authority however should have to periodically submit their records so they can be audited. Like they do when I'm in charge of a commercial fishing boat...for the same reason...to protect your interests. As an aside, I'm probably going to be in hot water with some of my fishing buddies. Strangled sea-lions are becoming more of an issue as a result of the plastic strapping used to package boxes of bait. Unfortunately a few fishermen throw these over the side instead of keeping them aboard and disposing of them properly, this is sometimes the result. It's an awful thing to watch these suffer and finally die an agonizing death that can take weeks. What to do? Some have tried talking to plastic strapping manufacturers about making a plastic strap that breaks down rapidly but they're apparently balking. I suggested we simply add a field to the validation and reporting forms we use and record how many boxes of bait are loaded aboard the boat. We'd either have to hold cut straps up so the cameras can record that they've been rendered harmless or return with the same number of straps we left with so validlators could count them and verify their return. There have been some four hundred reports of sea-lions suffering like the one above. Fishermen need to protect themselves from the public blowback that is building. Just like cops and politicians. Very sad indeed. What a tragic way to die. I like the idea of modifying the plastic straps to breakdown. We should be doing these for all plastic, including the pop can and beer can straps. Those are quite popular with boaters as well. Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
On Guard for Thee Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 And cockpits! Imagine if the Flight MH370 had one. MH 370 had all that stuff. We just can't find it. Quote
WestCoastRunner Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 MH 370 had all that stuff. We just can't find it. Oh, that makes sense, unless it was live streamed! Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
WestCoastRunner Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 Oh, that makes sense, unless it was live streamed! And why couldn't it have been live streamed? Money, I suppose. Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
eyeball Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 Nope, unions and pilots associations balking at being recorded. You should have heard the whining fishermen put up when they broached the subject. Now monitoring is an integral part of marketing sustainably caught fish. We can't sell into Europe or the US without it. We shouldn't be allowed to sell to anyone who doesn't insist on it. Quote A government without public oversight is like a nuclear plant without lead shielding.
On Guard for Thee Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 And why couldn't it have been live streamed? Money, I suppose. That's the main reason. Also there is resistance to a live streaming video in the cockpit. Pilot's like to have a little privacy after all. However the CVR and FDR provide pretty much all the info you need to unravel a crash. And I know I don't even think about the fact I'm being recorded when in the cockpit. Quote
eyeball Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 The flying public should insist on it, like the public that's sick of unmitigated authority. For the same reason, to protect their interest. Quote A government without public oversight is like a nuclear plant without lead shielding.
WestCoastRunner Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 That's the main reason. Also there is resistance to a live streaming video in the cockpit. Pilot's like to have a little privacy after all. However the CVR and FDR provide pretty much all the info you need to unravel a crash. And I know I don't even think about the fact I'm being recorded when in the cockpit. Many people are recorded all day long in their place of employment and they don't even realize it! Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
WestCoastRunner Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 The flying public should insist on it, like the public that's sick of unmitigated authority. For the same reason, to protect their interest. I agree. I think we should insist on it. Quote I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass. - Maya Angelou
On Guard for Thee Posted August 20, 2014 Report Posted August 20, 2014 (edited) I agree. I think we should insist on it. Well be prepared for a jump in ticket prices. If you want live feed from a transoceanic flight it all has to be done by sattelite and tres expensive. And really to no effect. Who needs to know what happened for the first 8 hours or so of a flight? The crash occurs at the end obviously and the "black boxes" give you the last 2 hours worth, and that's all you need to sort out what happenned. Edited August 20, 2014 by On Guard for Thee Quote
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