Rail fans can still spot coal-laden boxcars from coast to coast, but today’s locomotives are increasingly likely to pull tankers full of crude oil. Largely stemming from the fracking boom in North Dakota, crude oil transportation by rail has reached unprecedented heights in past years. This increase in transportation has led to a growing number of accidents, some on an almost apocalyptic scale, as in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec. In response, ProPublica assembled an interactive map to let you know whose tankers carry crude oil, where they’re coming from, and where they’re going.
According to ProPublica, “…towns and cities across America are often unaware that crude oil is being transported across their borders, and ill-equipped to handle a potential crude oil fire.”
Check the map to see if your town is on a crude-oil route:
Tags: Crude Oil, Lac-Megantic, Quebec, Shale, trains
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