[Smokin' Joe]

Three million gallons of Bakken crude burning in rural West Virginia after an oil train derails in a snowstorm ought to underscore the environmental safety of replacing rail cars with the Keystone XL pipeline.

Utter nonsense, of course. The Keystone Pipeline won't go anywhere near Virginia, which is where the crude oil was headed.

What it does underscore is the apparent problem keeping railcars on the tracks.

At least it wasn't Hydroflouric acid, or anhydrous ammonia, or any one of a number of far nastier substances shipped by rail.

There is currently a trend shifting toward more durable railcars, or modified ones which can better resist the effects of wrecking the train, but the bottom line is that the cargo isn't a problem if the train just stays on the tracks.

One last thing--cleanup will be easier after the crude burns off than it would be if the fire was put out (and less dangerous, too).

[meatloaf]

According to one source the tank cars involved in the WV derailment were the new design.