More than 30 million gallons of Bakken crude oil pass down the Wild and Scenic Middle Fork Flathead corridor each week, crossing many smaller streams and passing along Whitefish Lake. There were 37 train derailments along this stretch between 2000 and 2012. Until now, that has mostly seen corn, rice or frozen turkeys in our river. Oil train traffic has increased by more than 5,000 percent nationwide since 2009 and the dangers to our water and wildlife are compounded.
One 30,000-gallon tank car in the river could impact water quality all the way to Flathead Lake and pollute the essential groundwater aquifers on which we all depend for clean water. BNSF has pledged to spend $180 million on Montana track improvements. We must see that much of that money is spent to improve protections and not merely to increase traffic capacity.
More can be done. We must prepare for an overwhelming response should a spill occur, but our first priority must be prevention. We can assure that all tank cars on this stretch meet the highest safety standards. We can also limit the numbers of tank cars per train. In 2004, an avalanche derailed 15 empty rail cars near Marias Pass. What if those cars had been full of crude oil? There are currently only eight avalanche sheds along the Middle Fork to protect 40 avalanche paths along a nine-mile stretch.
Visitors spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year to visit this unique place bounded by wilderness and Glacier National Park. Their money drives our local economy and it would all be in jeopardy should we destroy our pristine waterways. Please let BNSF, the Montana Public Service Commission and local and state governments know that we cannot afford to neglect protection of these cherished resources for future generations.
LaVerne Sultz
Kalispell