County to Hold Press Conference About Crude Oil Train Derailment Preparedness

The Montgomery County Department of Public Safety will hold a press conference on April 17 to educate the public about emergency preparedness in case of a derailment involving trains carrying crude oil.

The press conference will be begin at 2:30 p.m. at Lewis Environmental Group in Royersford.

“We are just going to update the people of Montgomery County about the efforts we are taking to be prepared in case there’s a spill or accident with trains transporting crude oil in the county.”

The Norfolk Southern Railway transports crude oil through parts of Montgomery County. There is a growing concern of the impact accidents and spills it can do to the surrounding communities.

There have been several derailments recently of trains carrying crude oil throughout the country, including central New York and in North Dakota. A major derailment occurred in West Virginia earlier this year.

T However, the county has been focused on emergency preparedness long before the recent accidents, according to Custer.

“It’s a concern for everyone and we were working on this issue, preparing for a potential situation long before (recent derailments),” Custer said.