The renovations in the rail yard are in response to two train derailments that occurred along the same curve in the yard in a seven-month period. In a June incident, ethanol spilled and people evacuated their homes.
MRL wants to run a safe operation, and it's now taking a proactive approach to maintenance, said Rich Keller, MRL's chief engineer. Inspectors are scrutinizing rail and replacing it sooner than they normally would.
“It's my goal as chief engineer to do the best of my ability to make sure we never have a track-caused derailment,” he said, though he said he can't guarantee it.
The company also is developing a plan to alert neighbors when derailments occur. Several neighbors had met about three times to talk about how to get an information pipeline going from MRL to area residents, said Nicole Newman, neighborhood council leader.
When they approached MRL, they learned the company was already working on a plan.
“They were really thrilled to hear that,” Newman said.
And they like the direction MRL is going, too. For example, it's considering a reverse 9-1-1 system that would automatically dial homes in case of an emergency.
Newman said another plus for the community is MRL's communications director and other administrators have been responsive.
“They just seem to be really trying their best to figure out something that is going to be best for the neighborhood,” Newman said.
Communications director Lynda Frost said MRL plans to work hand in hand with emergency responders. Officials had wanted to put a plan in place sooner, but they encountered normal delays.
“It's always a little more complicated than one would like to think,” Frost said.
But MRL also plans to rely on the Missoula County Local Emergency Planning Committee, which has expertise in working with the public.
MRL's goal is to develop a written policy to share with neighbors - and some of those neighbors also are MRL employees, Frost said. The company employs some 350 people in the Missoula area.
At noon on April 10 in the Missoula County Courthouse, MRL plans to air some ideas and discuss its plans.
Frost said the number of cars carrying harmful material is minuscule, and those cars spend little time in town. Last year, 633 cars carried “toxic inhalation hazards,” such as chlorine or ammonia, through Missoula.
“That number is three-tenths of a percent of all the carloads that go through Missoula,” she said.
The cars spent fewer than two hours in town - “In other words, they didn't just sit in our yards,” Frost said.
This summer, MRL will spend some $2 million on regular maintenance in the Missoula area.
“We try to get as close to being problem-free as we can,” Keller said.
Reporter Keila Szpaller can be reached at 523-5262 or at Keila.Szpaller@missoulian.com
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