Even in the age of Trump, Baltimore is moving forward on climate

On June 1st, President Trump pulled the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement. This reckless decision signaled to the rest of the world that the U.S. is not a reliable leader and keeps us marching on a path toward climate chaos.
Fortunately, young people, advocates, and local elected officials have stepped up around the country to spearhead climate action in the wake of the federal government’s abdication of leadership. Over 1,000 cities, counties, states, universities, and businesses have signed onto a letter declaring their commitment to the agreement. Mayor Catherine Pugh signed Baltimore onto the letter, and the City Council strengthened Baltimore’s commitment to climate action this week.
On June 19th, the Baltimore City Council adopted a resolution upholding the commitments of the Paris Climate Agreement. Councilman Zeke Cohen of Baltimore’s 1st District engaged over fifteen partners, including the Maryland Environmental Health Network, Baltimore Beyond Plastic, and CCAN, to collaborate on the resolution. In addition to recognizing the significance of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and opposing the U.S.’s withdrawal from it, the resolution commits Baltimore City to specific actions that will work to prevent the worst impacts of climate change and address environmental injustices in the city.
The best part about this resolution is how intersectional and localized it is. Not only does it call for emissions reductions, the resolution also outlines how food deserts, energy affordability, zero waste strategies, sewage and stormwater infrastructure, community land trusts, equitable public transit, and more are all connected to climate change.
Critically, the resolution centers equity. It pledges to uphold practices that foster “a liveable, economical, equitable, and just energy future for all Baltimoreans regardless of age, race, income, or zip code” and acknowledges that, “climate change impacts are felt first and worst by vulnerable populations which exacerbates inequity.” It goes on to state, “we reject treating people and the planet as resources to be exploited.”
Before the City Council voted on the resolution on Monday night, the youth-led group Baltimore Beyond Plastic led a rally in support of the resolution. These young activists, who have been working tirelessly for a styrofoam ban in Maryland, refused to accept that Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement and worked closely with Councilman Cohen to ensure that the Council passed the strongest repudiation possible.
While this resolution is non-binding, it creates a blueprint for climate action in Baltimore. And since it passed unanimously, we can now hold every councilmember accountable to the actions outlined in the resolution (including limits on crude-by-rail infrastructure!) and work to pass legislation that will codify many of its stated commitments.

Young climate advocates stand with Councilman Cohen before Monday night's vote on the resolution
Climate advocates and resolution collaborators stand with Councilman Cohen before Monday night’s vote.

#BmoreClimateJust
 

Baltimoreans Call for Action on Oil Trains on Derailment Anniversary

On June 13, 2016, a freight train traveling from Philadelphia to Cumberland derailed inside the Howard Street Tunnel next to MICA’s campus. Twelve of the derailed cars were designed to carry liquefied petroleum gas but were thankfully empty at the time. The remaining car that derailed was carrying acetone. The incident took over 24 hours to clear.
At the time of last year’s derailment, I lived just a few blocks away and awoke that morning to numerous alerts about the incident from concerned friends. Knowing that explosive crude oil has traveled this exact route in Baltimore, I was terrified about the potential devastation due to a derailment. Thankfully, there were no injuries or leaks, and most of the cars that derailed were empty. But the incident begs the question, “what if?” What if that train had been carrying explosive crude oil?
Yesterday, residents of Baltimore’s crude oil train blast zone, MICA representatives, Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, and labor and environmental advocates rallied to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of this train derailment and to discuss the public health and safety threats posed to Baltimoreans by dangerous crude oil trains.
During the rally, MICA faculty member Valeska Populoh reflected on last year’s derailment: “The incident has raised my concerns about the transport of hazardous materials on these rail lines so close to our campus and the surrounding community, the potential threats to health and safety that these pose, as well as the potential for disruption of traffic and daily life in this central part of Baltimore in the event of another derailment.”

Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, representative of Baltimore’s District 14, said: “Crude oil transport through Baltimore is a dangerous venture. At the least, our residents require State and local coordination to secure better notice of such transport, more secure carriers than now employed, and a concerted plan of prevention and response to potential accidents.”
Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, representative of Baltimore’s 14th District, said: “Crude oil transport through Baltimore is a dangerous venture. At the least, our residents require State and local coordination to secure better notice of such transport, more secure carriers than now employed, and a concerted plan of prevention and response to potential accidents.”

165,000 Baltimoreans live, work, and go to school in the oil train “blast zone” — the area that could be directly impacted if a crude oil train derailed and exploded. Baltimore has had too many close calls with freight trains. In addition to last year’s derailment next to MICA, there was the infamous 2001 derailment in the Howard Street Tunnel, which caused a fire and water main break that effectively shut down the city for a week. In 2013, a freight train exploded in Rosedale and broke windows, shook nearby buildings, and slowed traffic throughout the region. And in 2014, the retaining wall on 26th St collapsed, sending parked cars, streetlights, and large chunks of sidewalk onto the CSX tracks below.
All of these incidents occurred on the route that crude oil trains have been known to take through Baltimore and are examples of just how close Baltimore has come to a catastrophic incident.
During Tuesday’s rally, David McClure, President of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1300, said, “Each day our 2,500 MTA workers transport the people of Baltimore to work, school, the doctor, or wherever they need to go. And our riders’ safety is our number one priority. I repeat, it’s our number one priority. And now it’s time for the City Council to put the safety and health of the people first.  It’s time to put a stop these trains from carrying dangerous crude oil and other hazardous cargo travelling through these densely-populated neighborhoods before we have a disaster on our hands.”
Ulysses Archie, an urban farmer and community advocate, spoke on Tuesday as a concerned father. He highlighted the forty Baltimore City Public Schools that are located within the blast zone and noted that tens of thousands of children, including his boys, are endangered by crude oil train traffic in the city.
The rally came a few days after members of the Baltimore City Council and Maryland General Assembly toured South Baltimore neighborhoods that are threatened by crude oil train traffic. On Friday, June 9th, community leaders concerned about the potential for a catastrophic explosion led the elected officials on a tour of Mt Winans, Westport, and Curtis Bay and saw some of the most vulnerable points in Baltimore’s infrastructure for a derailment and explosion.
Ann Robinson, President of the Mt Winans Neighborhood Association, showed tour participants an at-grade crossing in Mt Winans. At-grade crossings have been identified by rail companies as some of the most dangerous points of rail infrastructure.
Ann Robinson, President of the Mt Winans Neighborhood Association, showed tour participants an at-grade crossing in Mt Winans. At-grade crossings have been identified by rail companies as some of the most dangerous points of rail infrastructure.

While it is up to the federal government to ultimately ban the transport of crude-by-rail, local and state officials can take steps to protect Marylanders from this public health and safety threat. In Baltimore, the City Council can prevent the construction of new and the expansion of existing crude oil train terminals in order to limit oil train traffic within the city. Port cities across the country have been taking the lead on fighting fossil fuel infrastructure through zoning authority, and Baltimore can too. At the state level, the General Assembly can pass legislation focused on emergency preparedness, transparency, and proof of insurance for crude-by-rail incidents.
Elected officials and staff members from the Baltimore City Council and Maryland General Assembly gathered outside the southern entrance to the Howard Street Tunnel, 1.5 miles from site of last year’s derailment next to MICA. Delegate Robbyn Lewis, Councilman John Bullock, and staff members for Senator Barbara Robinson, Delegate Nick Mosby, Councilman Zeke Cohen, Delegate Kumar Barve, City Council President Jack Young, and Councilwoman Shannon Sneed participated in the tour.
Elected officials and staff members from the Baltimore City Council and Maryland General Assembly gathered outside the southern entrance to the Howard Street Tunnel, 1.5 miles from site of last year’s derailment next to MICA. Delegate Robbyn Lewis, Councilman John Bullock, and staff members for Senator Barbara Robinson, Delegate Nick Mosby, Councilman Zeke Cohen, Delegate Kumar Barve, City Council President Jack Young, and Councilwoman Shannon Sneed participated in the tour.

CCAN is working hard with our partners in the Baltimore City Council and in the Maryland General Assembly to protect Marylanders from crude-by-rail traffic. Sign the petition to the Baltimore City Council urging action and get involved with our local campaign!

Baltimore Residents Call for Action on Oil Trains, Commemorate 1-Year Anniversary of Train Derailment

One year after a train carrying acetone derailed in the Howard Street Tunnel, advocates called on the City Council to take steps to protect public health and safety from trains carrying explosive crude oil through the city.

BALTIMORE — Today, residents of Baltimore’s crude oil train blast zone, MICA staff and faculty, elected officials, and labor and environmental advocates rallied to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of a train derailment in the Howard Street Tunnel and discussed the public health and safety threats posed to Baltimoreans by dangerous crude oil trains.
During a rally in Frost Plaza on Tuesday June 13, speakers recalled last year’s dangerous 13-car derailment, which carried highly flammable substances including acetone and natural gas and took over 24 hours to clear. The speakers renewed demands from community members, local activists, and environmental organizations for the City Council to take steps to protect the public from trains carrying hazardous cargo such as crude oil through Baltimore.
Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, representative of Baltimore’s District 14, said: “Crude oil transport through Baltimore is a dangerous venture. At the least, our residents require State and local coordination to secure better notice of such transport, more secure carriers than now employed, and a concerted plan of prevention and response to potential accidents.”
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Councilwoman Clarke speaks to the crowd.
Valeska Populoh, a faculty member at MICA, reflected on last year’s derailment: “The incident has raised my concerns about the transport of hazardous materials on these rail lines so close to our campus and the surrounding community, the potential threats to health and safety that these pose, as well as the potential for disruption of traffic and daily life in this central part of Baltimore in the event of another derailment.”
David McClure, President of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1300, said: “Each day our 2,500 MTA workers transport the people of Baltimore to work, school, the doctor, or wherever they need to go. And our riders’ safety is our number one priority. I repeat, it’s our number one priority. And now it’s time for the City Council to put the safety and health of the people first. It’s time to put a stop these trains from carrying dangerous crude oil and other hazardous cargo travelling through these densely-populated neighborhoods before we have a disaster on our hands.”
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ATU Local 1300 President David McClure addressing the crowd.
During the rally, activists held a large replica “oil train” that read “Stop Oil Trains,” hand-painted signs of fire and explosions, and a map of Baltimore’s oil train “blast zone” in front of the site of last year’s derailment.
The press conference came a few days after members of the Baltimore City Council and Maryland General Assembly toured South Baltimore neighborhoods that are threatened by crude oil train traffic. On Friday, June 9th, community leaders concerned about the potential for a catastrophic explosion led the elected officials on a tour of Mt Winans, Westport, and Curtis Bay and saw some of the most vulnerable points in Baltimore’s infrastructure for a derailment and explosion.
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Elected officials and staff members from the Baltimore City Council and Maryland General Assembly toured the oil train blast zone on Friday, June 9th, 2017. This photo was taken at the southern end of the Howard St Tunnel, 1.5 miles from site of last year’s derailment at the northern end of the tunnel. Photo credit: Clean Water Action.
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Tour participants travel over an at-grade crossing in Fairfield in South Baltimore. At-grade crossings have been identified by rail companies as some of the most dangerous points of rail infrastructure.
Background: Transport of crude oil by rail has skyrocketed in the midst of the U.S.’s fracking boom in the Bakken shale fields of North Dakota and in tar sands extraction in Canada, and a string of derailments has followed. The worst incident occurred when a train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded in Lac-Megantic, Quebec in 2013, killing 47 people and leveling the town.
165,000 Baltimoreans live in the oil train “blast zone” – the area that could be directly impacted if a train were to derail and explode in the city. There have been many close calls in Baltimore, including last year’s derailment of 13 train cars in the Howard Street Tunnel. And just a few months ago, a fire broke out in a scrap yard across the street from the crude oil shipping terminal in Fairfield in South Baltimore.
Concerned residents and local advocates are calling on members of the Baltimore City Council to take action to protect Baltimoreans from this unnecessary public health and safety risk.

CONTACT:

Jennifer Kunze; Clean Water Action; jkunze@cleanwater.org; 240-397-4126 
Taylor Smith-Hams; CCAN; taylor@chesapeakeclimate.org; 650-704-3208

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Photo at the top from Flickr user Bill Kalkman with a Creative Commons license. 

Baltimore City Council Takes a Stand for Offshore Wind and Onshore Jobs

On May 8th, the Baltimore City Council resoundingly passed a resolution in support of offshore wind development in Maryland. Baltimore City Councilwoman Sharon Middleton introduced the resolution, which was co-sponsored by 14 of the 15 City Councilmembers, urging the Public Service Commission to approve one or both of the offshore wind farm proposals currently under consideration.
Before Monday’s vote, over 20 Baltimore residents, local elected officials, and environmental advocates rallied in front of City Hall to show support for offshore wind development and the Baltimore City Council resolution. Supporters displayed art created by local artists and activists for the Peoples Climate March, which many attended the previous weekend in Washington, DC.
 

Councilwoman Sharon Green Middleton, lead sponsor of the resolution and Vice-President of the Baltimore City Council, spoke at Monday’s rally: “It's important for Maryland, and more specifically, Baltimore, to get on board with organizations such as Clean Water Action and Chesapeake Climate Action Network to join other cities, states, and countries in the delivery of renewable wind energy projects. The health benefits, manufacturing careers, and resources are essential to the growth of our city. We have the components and now is the time!”
Councilwoman Sharon Green Middleton, lead sponsor of the resolution and Vice-President of the Baltimore City Council, spoke at Monday’s rally: “It’s important for Maryland, and more specifically, Baltimore, to get on board with organizations such as Clean Water Action and Chesapeake Climate Action Network to join other cities, states, and countries in the delivery of renewable wind energy projects. The health benefits, manufacturing careers, and resources are essential to the growth of our city. We have the components and now is the time!”

 
The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) is currently reviewing two proposals for offshore wind projects off Ocean City, Maryland. These two proposals present Maryland, and Baltimore in particular, with the opportunity to become a hub for the growing offshore wind industry. US Wind plans to build a 748-megawatt offshore wind farm, and Skipjack Offshore Wind proposes a 120-megawatt project. Both applicants have named Sparrows Point in Baltimore County as the site of a future assembly and manufacturing plant for their operations.
The Public Service Commission found that development, construction, and operation of the first phase of the US Wind project (248 megawatts) would create 7,050 jobs over 20 years and generate an estimated $1,354 million in economic activity for the state. The Public Service Commission also found that development, construction, and operation of the Skipjack project would create 2,635 jobs over 20 years and generate an estimated $536.4 million in economic activity for the state. Much of the economic activity created by both projects would take place in Baltimore City and Baltimore County.
 
Laqeisha Greene, a young activist and lifelong resident of Baltimore City who is a member of the United Workers Leadership Council, the Westside Human Rights committee, and the Baltimore Housing Roundtable, proclaimed, "Baltimore needs offshore wind energy! Why? Because for too long this city has stood on feeble legs with the stance that trickle down development works, and it doesn't. It's time for the city government to invest in green energy and companies that will offer skilled tradework that's marketable and life sustaining."
Laqeisha Greene, a young activist and lifelong resident of Baltimore City who is a member of the United Workers Leadership Council, the Westside Human Rights committee, and the Baltimore Housing Roundtable, proclaimed, “Baltimore needs offshore wind energy! Why? Because for too long this city has stood on feeble legs with the stance that trickle down development works, and it doesn’t. It’s time for the city government to invest in green energy and companies that will offer skilled tradework that’s marketable and life sustaining.”

 
Not only would offshore wind projects create jobs and economic activity in Maryland and in Baltimore, a commitment to offshore wind energy would also displace polluting sources of energy, many of which are located in and around Baltimore, improving air quality across the state and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
As an urban center and a port city, Baltimore has high potential for being heavily impacted by climate change. State and local efforts to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and invest in clean, renewable energy like offshore wind are important contributions to overall emissions reductions. 
 
“The Maryland Environmental Health Network supports offshore wind in Maryland because it is a real opportunity to displace pollution that increases poor health outcomes for Marylanders,” said MdEHN’s Executive Director Tamara Toles O'Laughlin. “We rank fifth in the nation in adult asthma and have some of the worst ground level ozone pollution in our region. Installed turbines generate no pollution. It is time to act on climate, and embrace renewable energy for cleaner air and better health for all.”
“The Maryland Environmental Health Network supports offshore wind in Maryland because it is a real opportunity to displace pollution that increases poor health outcomes for Marylanders,” said MdEHN’s Executive Director Tamara Toles O’Laughlin. “We rank fifth in the nation in adult asthma and have some of the worst ground level ozone pollution in our region. Installed turbines generate no pollution. It is time to act on climate, and embrace renewable energy for cleaner air and better health for all.”

 
The Public Service Commission must decide by May 17th whether or not to approve the proposals. If approved, these offshore wind projects could bring thousands of family-sustaining jobs to the Baltimore area, reduce Maryland’s reliance on fossil fuels, and limit air pollution.
 
Larry Bannerman, a resident of the Turner Station neighborhood near Sparrow’s Point and member of the Turner Station Conservation Teams, with 38 years of experience in High Voltage test, maintenance and repair, stated, “Fortunately for us, there is a tried and tested source of clean energy that is bringing with it, jobs and skills for the future. That source of energy is offshore wind. I support the U.S. Wind project.”
Larry Bannerman, a resident of the Turner Station neighborhood near Sparrow’s Point and member of the Turner Station Conservation Teams, with 38 years of experience in High Voltage test, maintenance and repair, stated, “Fortunately for us, there is a tried and tested source of clean energy that is bringing with it, jobs and skills for the future. That source of energy is offshore wind. I support the U.S. Wind project.”

 
By passing this resolution on Monday, Baltimore City took a stand in support of offshore wind, family-sustaining jobs, and a stable climate. Now it’s up to the PSC to approve offshore wind in Maryland. Stay tuned! 

Offshore Wind Is A Fair Development Opportunity In Baltimore

For far too long, Baltimore has been forced to bear the burden of failed development that pollutes the city, causes disproportionate health impacts, and forces residents out of their communities. But now, offshore wind presents the city with an opportunity to become a manufacturing hub for clean energy.
South Baltimore is host to a slew of polluting and dangerous developments, including a 200-acre coal pier, medical waste incinerator, and numerous chemical and pesticide plants. It is also home to a crude oil shipping terminal. “Bomb trains” carrying explosive crude oil from North Dakota travel through the city, and many stop at the NuStar Energy Storage Terminal in Fairfield to transfer oil from rail to barge in order to ship it to refineries in the Northeast.
From 2013 to 2014, over 100 million gallons of crude oil were transported into Baltimore by rail to be offloaded and shipped to refineries. Transporting crude by rail puts 165,000 people in the “blast zone” in Baltimore – the area that could be directly impacted if a train were to derail and explode. Bakken crude oil is highly volatile and transporting it by rail has had devastating consequences, most notably the 2013 derailment and explosion in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec that killed 47 people and leveled the town.
There have been close calls in Baltimore in recent years. Last June, a train carrying acetone derailed in the Howard Street Tunnel right next to the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) — my alma mater. A school parking lot was filled with emergency vehicles for over a week while the derailment was contained. Last month, eight cars on a CSX freight train derailed on a sharp curve in Frederick County. While nothing spilled, the train was carrying hazardous materials and was traveling the same route that crude oil trains have been known to take to reach Baltimore.
And two weeks ago, a fire broke out in a scrap yard in Fairfield just across the street from the oil train shipping terminal there. The fire was contained, but once again, Baltimoreans were faced with a terrifying “what if” scenario had the fire reached the terminal.
These close calls, along with the string of derailments, fires, and explosions caused by oil trains across the country, demonstrate that transporting crude by rail is an unacceptable gamble that endangers people who live, work, and go to school near the tracks.
Meanwhile, it is clear that Marylanders are ready for clean energy.
Last month, the state held two public hearings in Berlin and Annapolis where residents showed up in droves to voice their support for offshore wind farm proposals.
Throughout the three-hour hearing in Berlin, person after person got up in front of the packed auditorium to speak about how offshore wind will help clean Maryland’s air, provide a reliable source of renewable energy, and create thousands of jobs across the state. Union members were a strong presence at the hearing, from piledrivers to carpenters, all of whom stand to benefit from the potential manufacturing and construction jobs across the state. And as a Baltimorean, talk of repurposing Sparrows Point into a wind turbine manufacturing hub was particularly exciting.
Instead of continuing to invest in failed development that brings polluting and dangerous materials like explosive crude oil into the heart of the city, Baltimore has an opportunity to become a central hub for clean energy jobs and fair development. Offshore wind offers one exciting pathway for a just transition in Baltimore where the city can move away from the polluting, dangerous fossil fuel industries of the past and become a clean energy powerhouse.
Tell the Public Service Commission to approve offshore wind in Maryland to help make this fair development future a reality in Baltimore.

 
 
Image at top from Sandia National Laboratories.

Oil Trains Ordinance Dies in Baltimore Judiciary Committee

On the morning of Tuesday, November 1st, around 35 supporters showed up to Baltimore City Hall adorned in red shirts to attend the city’s Judiciary Committee hearing. The coalition, made up of citizens, community association representatives, and health and environmental organizations, was there to support Ordinance 16-0621, also known as the oil train ordinance. The bill called upon the city to conduct the first-ever health impact and risk assessment of the dangers that explosive oil trains pose as they roll through Baltimore.
oil-train-blast-zone-baltimore In recent years the oil industry has increasingly used rail as a means to transport crude oil, and Baltimore has become a throughway for this highly explosive cargo, much of it from fracking operations in the Bakken shale fields of North Dakota. From 2013 to 2014, over 100 million gallons of crude oil were transported into Baltimore by rail to be offloaded and shipped to refineries. Much more crude oil likely travels through Baltimore. Maps show that oil train routes put 165,000 people in the “blast zone” in Baltimore – the area that could be directly impacted if a train were to derail and explode. Bakken crude oil is highly volatile and a number of high profile derailments — such as the 2013 derailment in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec that led to an explosion killing 47 people and leveling over 30 buildings — have caused communities around the North America to take action.
Normally, committee hearings in Baltimore are rather banal events – just another administrative hurdle in the life of aspiring city legislation. With the oil trains ordinance, however, things have not been so simple.
The ordinance was introduced by City Council President Jack Young in January 2016 with near-unanimous support amongst members of the Council. The bill represented a first step toward giving communities and emergency responders vital information about the severity of the risks to public health and safety. After being introduced, however, the legislation languished in legislative purgatory, with neither President Young nor Councilman Jim Kraft, the chair of the Judiciary Committee, scheduling a hearing. After months of reaching out to elected officials and hearing nothing in response, a group of concerned Baltimore citizens organized a silent protest at the September 13th Judiciary Committee hearing to urge elected officials to break the collective silence on Baltimore oil trains. It was at this hearing that Councilman Kraft announced that he had just scheduled a hearing for the oil trains ordinance on November 1st.
On the morning of November 1st the council chambers were packed. By the time the committee took up the oil trains ordinance, the hearing had already gone two and a half hours over schedule. After reconvening from a recess, Councilman Kraft issued a deadly blow to the ordinance: citing negative reports published by the city’s finance and law departments, he said that the committee would no longer be voting on the ordinance, although they would still open the hearing up to public comments. These negative reports seemingly came out of nowhere – especially the law department’s report, with whom CCAN had worked previously to vet the legality of the ordinance. By tabling the bill, the committee essentially killed the legislation for 2016, despite its broad support.
Natl-Aquarium-Oil-Train-Blast-Zone-editedEven in the face of these devastating last-minute changes, supporters held their ground. Nearly 20 community members, coalition partners, and organizations provided testimony on the need to do something about explosive “bomb” trains in the city.
“These trains run in close proximity to over 40 schools in Baltimore city,” said community member Ulysses Archie. “We need to know the threat that oil trains pose to our communities so we can be properly prepared.”
Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke stood resolute at the hearing, promising to take the lead on crafting a stronger ordinance at the start of the new legislative session in 2017. Additionally, January will mark the swearing in of a brand new City Council, filled with promising new council members that are eager to make a reputation for themselves as results-oriented progressives in the community.
While the death of Ordinance 16-0621 comes as a setback to those seeking environmental justice in Baltimore, it by no means signals the end of the campaign. With a strong legislative advocate and new City Council, 2017 looks to be a promising year for Baltimore City Government to take desperately needed action to put the brakes on dangerous crude oil trains.
To read more about the oil trains campaign in Baltimore read Part I and Part II of a recent Baltimore Brew series, and watch CBS coverage of the November 1st hearing.

National Week of Action to #StopOilTrains Builds Momentum in Baltimore

The first week of July marked the start of an international week of action aimed at highlighting the growing opposition to dangerous oil trains in the US and Canada. With over 70 events taking place across North America, this event is scheduled to commemorate the 47 people killed in the Lac-Mégantic 2013 oil train disaster by people taking up the struggle to fight against these oil trains in own communities.
As participants in the week of action, CCAN coordinated with members of Clean Water Action to raise awareness about the dangers that oil-train blast zones pose to the Baltimore community.
A number of Baltimore’s most iconic institutions are located in the “blast-zone”, which activists highlighted by using light projections on places like the National Aquarium and during the Baltimore Artscape Festival.
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Additionally, on Wednesday July 6th  CCAN and Clean Water Action delivered over 2000 petitions and handwritten letters to City Council President Jack Young calling for further action to be taken against dangerous oil trains in Baltimore city.
 
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Click here to add your name to our petition demanding the Baltimore City Council to pass Health and Safety Ordinance for oil trains in Baltimore.
 
 
 
 
Screen Shot 2016-07-08 at 6.46.32 PMWrapping up the week of action, activists participated in a Banner Drop at Camden Yards in Downton Baltimore in protest of oil trains that run alongside the stadium and threaten this beloved Baltimore institution.
The international week of action to #StopOilTrains reaffirmed the growing movement across North America to take back our communities from oil companies and explosive oil trains. Now, more than ever, is the time to get organized and get loud. To get involved, attend our monthly volunteer meetings to plan and strategize how to make our voices as loud as possible.
 Volunteer Meetings are held the last Wednesday of the month at 6pm at Impact Hub located at 10 E North Ave, Baltimore, MD 21202. Click here to RSVP.
 
 
 
 
 

Quebec Oil Train Activist Marilaine Savard Inspires Baltimore

Last week, CCAN invited oil train activist Marilaine Savard down to our region to attend a series of events. Marilaine is from Lac-Megantic, Quebec, and unintentionally became an activist and spokesperson to stop oil trains across the country. That’s because she lived through the deadliest oil train disaster in history. In July 2013, Lac-Megantic was changed forever, when an unattended 74-car crude oil train derailed and exploded in their small town, killing 47 people. Since then, she has advocated for rail safety and climate justice in the San Francisco Bay area, Albany, NY, Pittsburgh, PA, and now Baltimore, MD.


Marilaine Savard, from Lac-Megantic, and Keisha Allen discuss issues facing their communities and stopping oil trains.
Marilaine Savard, from Lac-Megantic, and Keisha Allen discuss issues facing their communities and stopping oil trains.

Thursday morning Marilaine came to the office to meet everyone at CCAN and eat breakfast, and after coffee and bagels we left for Annapolis. We arrived in Annapolis to meet Jennifer Kunze (a former CCAN Fellow, now an organizer with Clean Water Action) for an event with Delegate Clarence Lam about oil trains and his recently introduced bill, the Rail Safety Act of 2016. We had a small but mighty audience who attended and learned about Marilaine’s story. Marilaine shared her story, Delegate Lam introduced and outlined his bill, and Frtiz Elder, a representative from Railroad Workers United discussed policy initiatives that workers are concerned about, specifically calling for more crew members on the train.


After that, we drove to the neighborhood of Westport in South Baltimore, to meet up with Keisha Allen, president of the Westport Neighborhood Association. Keisha met us with her neighbor, Doug, and we walked from her house to the tracks, about two blocks away, and discussed the problem. This was a highlight of the trip for me. It was powerful to connect the two of them, since Lac-Megantic and Westport have almost the same exact curve in the tracks that border their community. It was a true moment of solidarity that we rarely get to experience. They also discussed how it’s hard for low-income communities to advocate for change, and Keisha discussed some of the other issues facing the community, like asthma from pollution, trash, and poverty.
Before heading back to Lac-Megantic, Marilaine stopped by Clean Water Action Baltimore for an interview with WYPR.
Before heading back to Lac-Megantic, Marilaine stopped by Clean Water Action Baltimore for an interview with WYPR.


After, we went to Charles Village for the town hall. It was a really powerful and moving event, with over 70 people in attendance. Marilaine’s story touched everyone in the room, everyone was moved with her account of the experience. Next, Paul Plymouth, from the City Council President’s office spoke about the City Council’s recent action, introducing an ordinance that requires public disclosure of health and safety risks from oil trains in the city. You could tell he was genuinely moved by Marilaine’s presentation. Fritz Edler from Railroad Workers United was there as well and discussed the labor perspective, and why railroad workers should partner with climate groups to fight against oil trains. He also shared images of the 47 memorials in Lac-Megantic made for those who died. Finally, attendees from Residents Against the Tunnels (RATT) discussed the B&P Tunnel Project that they are opposing in the Resovoir Hill neighborhood. Throughout the evening, we generated hand written letters to Mayor Rawlings-Blake asking for her to sign the ordinance once it’s adopted by the City Council. After the event, people seemed genuinely moved and interested in taking action, especially by taking photographs of trains in their communities.


The next morning, Marilaine and I headed up to Baltimore to record an interview with Tom Pelton for WYPR’s “Environment in Focus” radio show, which aired yesterday. We were with Tom for about an hour to discuss Marilaine’s story and Delegate Lam’s Rail Safety Act. After that, I dropped her off at the airport and we said our goodbye’s. She was extremely grateful, and said she felt really good coming down here to do these presentations. Even though it was hard for her to share her story, she was extremely moved by our organizing and is excited to continue the fight.


To join in the fight against oil trains in Baltimore, and to find out how you can volunteer, let us know! If you see an oil train in your neighborhood, be sure to take a picture and email it to jon@chesapeakeclimate.org.

Shedding Light on the Shady Industry of Crude Oil Trains in Baltimore

Over the last year and a half, our campaign to stop dangerous and explosive oil trains in Baltimore has built some serious momentum. This is a blog post about what we’ve accomplished, and what we have planned next.
In the winter of 2014, CCAN and partners submitted hundreds of public comments in opposition to Targa Terminals’ proposed crude oil and tar sands shipping terminal in Curtis Bay. In addition to submitting comments, technical comments filed by the Environmental Integrity Project got state regulators attention. The Maryland Department of the Environment halted the company’s permit, stopping construction of the terminal and potentially keeping over a million gallons of oil from running through our city every day. During that process, the Baltimore Sun reported that another terminal was already shipping crude oil out of the city, and that explosive crude oil trains were likely running through the center of the City, but rail companies CSX and Norfolk Southern were suing the state of Maryland to keep route information secret.

A DOT-111 Train running through Baltimore along 26th street near Charles Village.
A DOT-111 Train running through Baltimore along 26th street near Charles Village.

So, in July of 2015, nearly a hundred of us rallied outside of City Hall as part of a National Week of Action to stop oil trains, calling for public disclosure of train routes. That same day, the City Council held an informational public hearing about crude oil trains, and, slowly, us and the City Council started to learn more about this shady industry. Of course, the rail companies refused to show up, prompting even more questions from the City Council. After that hearing, they agreed that something needed to happen.
Finally, last Fall, we started to shed some light. In September, a Baltimore judge ruled against rail companies, forcing them to release oil train route information to the public, confirming that explosive crude oil trains do run through the heart of our city and put 165,000 people (or a quarter of the city’s population) at risk. Now, the city council is ready to take action.
Just last week, City Council President Jack Young introduced a bill to study the health and safety impacts that oil trains place on the city. These are unprecedented studies that should tell us even more about the burden oil trains place on communities. We will be able to answer questions like: what pollutants leak out of oil trains in communities near rail lines? Or, what should the city do in the event of an oil train derailment and explosion?
Of course, these simple questions should have been answered before we allowed oil trains to run through the heart of the City, but it’s heartening to see the City Council finally asking questions like this to expose this industry for what it is: an extreme risk to communities that we shouldn’t have to bear. Ultimately, we know that there is no safe way to transport oil. Whether it’s by rail, pipe, or truck, crude oil is too much of a danger for communities and for the climate. The only way to ultimately protect ourselves is to transition away from our dependence on fossil fuels. But exposing the oil train industry and giving communities the knowledge that they deserve is an important first step.
If you want to learn more about crude oil trains and what we’re planning next, come to CCAN’s Town Hall on Thursday, February 11th in Baltimore. We’ll be joined by a guest from Lac-Megantic, Quebec, who will share her personal experience of the oil train disaster that destroyed her community. We’ll also hear from  representatives from the City Council, who will discuss their recent action, and what we need to do to pass the ordinance and get it signed by the Mayor.