If federal leaders don’t act quickly, a proposed merger of two of North America’s largest railroads could jeopardize the environment and delay critical agricultural goods reaching market.
The mega-merger involving Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern (KCS), would lay the tracks to 20 additional trains that carry Canadian tar sands crude oils through our state each month.
Unfortunately, the oil that would be moving acrossIowais made from oil extracted from the earth in large open-pit mines. This is a more carbon-intensive than oil produced elsewhere. It is also extremely harmful to the environment.
In fact, the main reason that the Joe Biden administration halted the Keystone XL project was because it would provide a continuous route for the dirty Canadian crude oil from Canada to reach new markets. The rail merger would do the same thing, but local communities would be at greater risk because of the inherent dangers associated with transporting fossil fuels and CPs shaky safety record.
Last summer, 1,200 gallons diesel fuel was spilled near to the Mississippi River when two CP locomotives collided in St. Paul, Minnesota. Another CP train ran aground in December, spilling potash onto a major highway in British Columbia. CP was responsible of an environmental disaster in 2019, when 34 train cars derail, igniting a massive fire and spilling 400,000 gallons crude oil in a small town near Saskatchewan.
Canadian Pacific doesn’t just disregard the environment. The merger could make it more difficult to get crucial agricultural goods to market quickly. This is something that the USDA, the aministrations, suggested should be more studied in a recent letter.
CP also ignores human life.
Three CP crew members lost their lives in a negligent derailment in 2019. The incident was investigated and CP executives received worker safety bonuses the same year.
If the U.S. lawmakers, Surface Transportation Board and Biden administration allow the merger, the number trains that pass through Iowas railroad communities could increase by as high as 50%. The risk of accidents will also increase by at least 50%.
Rail traffic will increase, causing delays and serious traffic backups at railroad crossings. This is especially true in small towns that have only a few main roads. These crossings could become a dangerous place for emergency response vehicles, which could lead to deaths or prolong delays.
There are many reasons to be worried about the proposed merger. There have been virtually no public hearings in person to allow Iowans to find out more about the plan, to engage with regulators, and to voice their concerns.
Worse, the proposed merger has not been subject to an environmental review and analysis by the Surface Transportation Board. It is difficult to know how damaging the merger could have on the environment.
For the sake of the environment, and public safety, our members of Congress, including Chuck Grassley, a highly respected senior U.S. Senator, should speak out and oppose the merger. The risks are far greater than any small economic benefits from the merger.
EmilyMandersisan was an environmental activist who graduated from the University of Iowa. She also served as co-president of the University Environmental Coalition.