Page 28 - Flathead Beacon // 5.25.16

LIKE I WAS SAYING 30 AMERICAN RURAL 30 DRAWING BOARD 31 Viewpoints
LETTERS
BNSF Continues to Prioritize Safety
LaVerne Sultz’s recent letter to the editor, “Improve Protections Along Sce- nic Railways” brings up some important topics about the transportation of crude oil through Montana. However, the let- ter misses the mark on several signi - cant points.
At BNSF, we too want to prevent every incident from occurring. That’s why our mainline track is visually inspected at least four times weekly, hazardous materials trains are given special handling protocols and proce- dures, state-of-the-art detector equip- ment is installed across our network, and why we invest millions of dollars in maintenance and safety technology each year.
Since 1980, accidents on the railroad have declined nearly 80 percent, and the last four years were the safest on record for BNSF. Last year, 99.997 percent of all hazardous materials shipped on BNSF reached their destination without inci- dent or release.
Additionally, BNSF has developed and maintains an avalanche safety program to prevent avalanche-related derailments. In the last ve years, BNSF has provided emergency response and safety training to more than 725 Mon- tana rst responders and regularly sponsors or participates in various spill exercises and drills.
In White sh, BNSF has placed thou- sands of feet of boom, current buster, oil skimmers, storage tanks, and an industrial re- ghting trailer. In coor- dination with Glacier National Park, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other state and local agencies, BNSF has developed a Geographic Response Plan to be used in the unlikely event of an accidental release.
Private investment in BNSF infra- structure bene ts all of our custom- ers – including Amtrak – regardless of the type of cargo they ship, all the while making rail transportation safer, and more fuel e cient. In fact, since 2000, BNSF has invested over $50 bil- lion in safety technology, preventative maintenance, new track, bridges, and locomotives.
As a common carrier, BNSF is legally obligated to carry all regulated prod- ucts including the fuels people use every day to heat their homes and power the buses, cars, and airplanes that bring nearly three million visitors to the area each year. However, transportation of crude oil makes up less than 4 percent of the total volume BNSF moves each year. Agricultural products like wheat and soy beans, consumer products like
washing machines and televisions make up a much larger part of our transporta- tion portfolio.
Safety is not just a priority at BNSF, but an engrained value that in uences every activity we undertake. BNSF employees live, work, and recreate in the area, and share a commitment to protecting our environment. To learn more about BNSF Railway and the steps we take to ensure we protect the com- munities in which we operate, please visit BNSF.com/communities.
Ross Lane, regional director of public a airs BNSF Railway
When to Serve in Public O ce
The best political advice I ever received was from the late U.S. Sen. Lee Metcalf. It was during the Vietnam War, and I was in Washington, D.C. with my fellow Montana State University stu- dent leaders, Kelly Addy from Shelby and Bob Quinn from Big Sandy.
I had just led for the Montana Leg- islature along with Dorothy Bradley of Bozeman, and Metcalf had seen the news reports in the Montana papers about the young college students, one a Democrat and the other a Republican, running to make change within the system.
A combat veteran of World War II, Metcalf was becoming increasingly opposed to the Vietnam War, but he was also growing resentful of the thousands of student protesters who for many days had crowded the corridors of the con- gressional o ces buildings making it nearly impossible for Congress to func- tion. A tousled man of burly build with a reputation for cantankerousness, Met- calf appeared troubled and weary. He told me he had read about my legislative candidacy and invited me to visit with him about it. I vividly remember that behind his cluttered desk were towers of stacked newspapers. On top of one of them was a large sleeping cat.
He told me he had rst run for the Montana House of Representatives when he was only a little older than me. He said he had done so because he was inspired by the New Deal, and was determined to be a part of implement- ing in our state what he believed were its critically needed reforms. Because of the extreme importance of this to him, he campaigned intensively. On the eve- ning before the election he joined his parents in their Stevensville home for dinner.
He said his mother commented to him that he hadn’t asked any of the Metcalf neighbors for their votes. They had known him nearly all his life. Did he
need to? She replied that “people like to be asked.” Though tired, Metcalf sensed seriousness in his mother’s words. He quickly got up from the table and called on the dozen or so nearby families. Bone tired, he trekked back home that cold, pitch-black November night at nearly 10 p.m. “I won that election by 15 votes, and I think I got ‘em that night after dinner,” he told me. He said because of that vic- tory he was able to go on to the Montana Supreme Court, then to Congress, and from there to the United States Senate.
“So, it was pretty important what I did after dinner that night, wasn’t it?” he said to me with force in his voice. “And so my advice to you is that if you really believe there is a need for you to serve in public o ce, then you have an absolute duty to campaign as hard as you can.”
It was profound advice delivered powerfully, and it became fundamen- tal to me. I never entered an election campaign unless I was rm in the belief that I was running for reasons that were right, relevant and achievable. When I was certain of this, then I had a great internal motivation to win.
And so nearly half a century after I received it, I pass on Metcalf’s timeless advice to any political candidates who may be reading this. If you really believe it is right and in the people’s interest that you should serve in public o ce, then get up from the table and knock on a few more doors. If you don’t know why you’re running, then have some dessert and settle back in your recliner.
Bob Brown, former secretary of state White sh
Montana Public Lands are Not for Sale
Land grab attempts happen every generation. In the early 1900s, again in the 1940s and 1950s, in the 1970s and 1980s, and now in 2016.
They are made by people that don’t like public lands and want to put your public lands up for sale to the highest bidder as prime real estate.
On June 7, 2016, you have a choice to make, an action to take, a statement to send. As public landowners, step up and protect your public lands.
Tell the land grabbers that while Montana is open for business, it is not for sale to the highest bidder.
Glenn Ferren St Regis
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MAY 25, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
LETTERS
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