Responds to 'facts' about oil trains

I want to respond to the letter to the editor about oil trains by John Donoghue that appeared in the Hungry Horse News online.

As to his comment, “the train does not go through downtown Whitefish,” if you look into the accident at Lac-Megantic, Quebec, that train exploded “near the downtown area” but still killed 47 people and leveled more than 30 buildings.

Put that one near the train station near downtown Whitefish and you can see how close near really is. It’s the same situation for Columbia Falls, Olney, Eureka, Libby, etc.

John, let’s just talk about facts. You made a point as to ASTM standards for testing flash points and other fancy sounding methods as to what is in a tank car. I will be very simple:

1) There are 30,000 gallons of something that does not belong in the Flathead River or Flathead Lake in each train car.

2) There are usually around 100 cars in an oil train — that equates to 3 million gallons.

3) There is at least one oil train passing through per day.

4) I have lived in the Flathead Valley for 33 years.

5) I have seen many grain cars in the Middle Fork of the Flathead River over the last 33 years.

6) Oil is more difficult than corn to clean up.

7) It is not a matter of if — it is when.

8) People living in the Flathead Valley do not benefit directly from the risk that these trains entail.

9) That oil should be going to refineries in Billings.

I hope everyone will please start thinking if this risk is worth the reward. And just how lucky we are to have the Flathead River and Flathead Lake.

Orrin Webber lives in Kalispell.