Misinformation has been tossed about regarding the safety of rail transport of crude oil to the Phillips 66 refinery in Nipomo. They have alarmed the community and misled them to oppose the Phillips 66 rail extension project. The opposition continues to fuel their campaign with sound bites and false information such as the project only being about profits, or the project isn’t necessary because Phillips 66 can continue to rely on a pipeline (their main source has been indefinitely shut down), or all of us are in extreme danger if the project is approved. Great story but try again with facts please!
Freight trains regularly transit SLO County and its cities. These trains have been hauling crude oil, the same stuff being proposed by Phillips 66, for decades without incident. Other freight trains carry multiple cars of very hazardous materials, which are poisonous, corrosive, and far more flammable than crude oil. Some cargoes use pressurized tank cars that are extremely dangerous if ruptured. Yet we hear not one word from project opponents about these freight trains carrying products essential to run our economy.
I have taken the time to do my own research, and I support the project.
— Robert Mott – Nipomo
This article appears in Oct 15-22, 2015.
