Listed in chronological order with the most recent accident first
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| RA620017 | Hazardous
Material Release From Railroad Tank Car With Subsequent Fire at Riverview,
Michigan, July 14, 2001 Cause: A fractured cargo transfer pipe that resulted from (1) the failure of ATOFINA to adequately inspect and maintain its cargo transfer equipment, and (2) inadequate Federal oversight of unloading operations involving hazardous materials. Contributing to the accident were ATOFINA’s reliance on a tank car excess flow valve to close in the event of a leak from cargo transfer equipment and the company’s failure to require appropriate safety equipment for employees involved in tank car loading and unloading operations. |
USA | 2002 | 58 | $28.50 |
| RA620018 | Hazardous Material Release From Railroad Tank Car With Subsequent Fire at Riverview, Michigan, July 14, 2001 (Brief) | USA | 2002 | 5 | FREE |
| RA620010 | Derailment
of CSX Freight Train Q316 and Subsequent Hazardous Material Release at
Cox Landing, West Virginia on June 20, 1998
Cause: Unstable roadbed that resulted from inadequate or ineffective measures taken to permanantly correct known drainage problems. |
USA | 1999 | 38 | $28.50 |
| RA620001 | Failure of Tank
Car TEAX 3417 and Subsequent Release of Liquified Petroleum Gas in Pasadena,
Texas on November 22, 1997
Cause : Thermal shock failure and subsequent leakage caused when contractor failed to ensure that nitrogen was properly warmed before being injected into the tank car during nitrogen purging. |
USA | 1997 | 29 | $25.50 |
| RA620015 | Rupture
of a Railroad Tank Car Containing Hazardous Waste Near Clymers, Indiana
on February 18, 1999
Cause: Failure of management to develop and implement safe procedures for offloading toluene diisocyanate matter wastes, resulting in the overpressurization of the tank car from chemical self-reaction and expansion of the toluene diisocyanate matter wastes. |
USA | 1999 | 79 | $34.00 |
| RA620002 | Tank Car Failure
and Release of Corrosive and Poisonous Liquid Involving Tank Car ACAX 80010
in the Illinois Central Railroad Yard in Memphis, Tennessee on April 2,
1997
Cause : Inadequate heat treatment to reduce the hardness of the weld material used in the repair of the tank to a level that would retard or prevent hydrogen-assisted cracking and inadequate testing to determine whether the weld material hardness exceeded established limits. |
USA | 1997 | 6 | $10.00 |
| RA620003 | Tank Car Structural
Failure and Release and Ignition of Propane Involving Tank Car UTLX 803627
in Conrail's Selkirk Yard, Selkirk, New York on March 6, 1996
Cause : Defective weld overlay repair adjacent to the manway that resulted in an overstress fracture near the manway. Contributing to the accident was the brittleness of the tank steel, which promoted the rapid propagation of the overstress failure. The tank completely separated into two halves and one of the halves was propelled, along with the four freight cars coupled to it, almost one mile down the track by the force of the explosion. |
USA | 1996 | 4 | $10.00 |
| RA620004 | Tank Car Failure
and Release of Flammable and Toxic Liquid Involving Tank Car GATX 92414
near Sweetwater, Tennessee on February 7, 1996
Cause : Installation of discontinuous bottom reinforcement bars, which concentrated stresses on pre-existing welding-induced cracks in the middle of the tank, causing tank car to shear almost completely in half during train move. Contributing to the accident was the brittleness of the tank steel which promoted rapid propagation of the overstress fracture. |
USA | 1996 | 6 | $10.00 |
| RA620005 | Tank Car Failure
and Release of Poisonous and Corrosive Vapors Involving Tank Car UTLX 92329
at the Gaylord Chemical Corporation Plant in Bogalusa, Louisiana on October
23, 1995
Cause : Lack of adequate procedures on the part of Gaylord Chemical Corp. and Vicksburg Chemical Co. to prevent or detect the contamination of nitrogen tetroxide with water, resulting in the formation of an extremely corrosive product and the subsequent failure of the tank car. Contributing to the severity of the accident were the Gaylord Chemical Corp.'s inadequate procedures for emergency transfer of contaminated cargo from the tank car. |
USA | 1995 | 4 | $10.00 |
| RA620009 | Tank
Car Failure and Release of Arsenic Acid in Chattanooga, Tennessee on June
6, 1994
Cause: Tank car owner failed to detect and correct misalignment of eduction pipe system, which mechanically damaged the protective coating of the tank at the sump, leading to the corrosion and failure of the tank. Contributing to the severity was a lack of means to contain spill within yard, delay in notifying spill cleanup contractor. |
USA | 1995 | 75 | $34.00 |
| RA620011 | Derailment
of Burlington Northern Freight Train No. 01-142-30 and Release of Hazardous
Materials in the Town of Superior, Wisconsin on June 30, 1992
Cause: Failure of the rail from an undetected preexisting detail fracture that had initiated from shelling and had reached critical size. Also causal were (a) the Federal Railroad Administration track safety standards, which failed to adequately address rail-head surface conditions (such as shelling) that are known to be associated with rail fracture modes and failed to require remedial action; and (b) the lack of objective criteria to assess the risk posed by shelled rail, which has not been adequately addressed by the railroad industry and the Federal Railroad Administration. |
USA | 1994 | 107 | $36.50 |
| RA610002 | Inspection and Testing of Railroad Tank Cars - Special Investigation Report | USA | 1992 | 44 | $28.50 |
| RA620013 | Derailment
of a CSX Transportation Freight Train and Fire Involving Butane in Akron,
Ohio on February 26, 1989
Cause: Inadequate rebuild and quality control procedures and inadequate inspections by car inspectors that permitted the car to enter and continue in service with excessive gib clearance and out-of-limits side bearing clearance. Contributing factor was marginal condition of track due to delay in rehabilitation of track and absence of slow order. |
USA | 1990 | 104 | $36.50 |
| RA620012 | Butadiene
Release and Fire From GATX 55996 at the CSX Terminal Junction Interchange,
New Orleans, Louisiana on September 8, 1987
Cause: Misalignment and subsequent tearing of the bottom manway gasket when the manway cover was improperly closed. Contributing to the improper closing of the manway cover were the lack of established procedures by both the North American Tank Car Corp. and Phillips 66 for correctly using the uniquely designed cover hinge and the insufficient training of the carman who performed the work. Contributing to the length of the emergency and the increased risk to life and property were the lack of any means to stop the flow of butadiene from the bottom manway of the tank car and the failure of responding personnel to comprehend the extent of the danger posed by the burning tank car and to promptly evacuate the area threatened. |
USA | 1988 | 81 | $34.00 |
| RA620014 | Hazardous
Materials Release Following the Derailment of Baltimore and Ohio RR Co.
Train No. SLFR, Miamisburg, Ohio on July 8, 1986
Cause: Failure of the unprotected bottom brake support attachment during the derailment resulting in the tearing of the tank shell. Contributing to the rupture of the tank was the Federal Railroad Administration's failure to require retroactively that reinforcement pads be installed between tank shells and welded attachments. |
USA | 1986 | 95 | $34.00 |
| RA620008 | Anhydrous
Hydrogen Flouride Release from NATX 9408, Train No. BNEL3Y at Conrail's
Receiving Yard in Elkhart, Indiana - February 4, 1985
Cause: Railroad continued transporting car known to be leaking. Leak resulted from failure of the tankcar head at a weld undercut made during its construction. Contributing to the extent of the emergency was the failure of mechanical and supervisory personnel to take prompt, appropriate action once notified of the leak. |
USA | 1985 | 43 | $28.50 |
| RA620006 | Hazardous Materials
Release - Missouri Pacific Railroad Company's North Little Rock, Arkansas
Railroad Yard - December 31, 1984
Cause: Ethylene oxide leaked from tank car through two through-shell cracks near the center of the bottom of the tank at each extremity of the welds on the anti-shift bracket. Tank car jacket was improperly welded. In addition, railroad personnel were poorly trained in emergency response, railroad had no emergency response plan for the yard. |
USA | 1984 | 28 | $28.50 |
| RA620007 | Release of Oleum
During Wreckage-Clearing Following Derailment of Seaboard System Railroad
Train Extra 8294 North - Clay, Kentucky - February 5, 1984
Cause: Local emergency agencies not notified promptly of derailment, railroad personnel not trained in emergency response, railroad and emergency response personnel took action without obtaining complete knowledge of hazardous substance |
USA | 1984 | 43 | $28.50 |
| RA610025 | Phosphorus Trichloride Release in Boiston and Maine Yard 8 During Switching Operations - Somerville, Massachusetts - April 3, 1980 | USA | 1981 | 49 | $28.50 |
| RA200062 | Railroad/Highway Grade Crossing Accidents Involving Trucks Transporting Bulk Hazardous Materials | USA | 1981 | 50 | $28.50 |
All prices are in U.S. Dollars.