A toxic train derailment some 3,200 kilometres away from Calgary is putting a spotlight on rail safety in Canadian towns and cities where shipments of dangerous goods roll on a regular basis.
The City of Calgary’s Disaster Risk Explorer warns that collisions, derailments and the release of hazardous goods are the types of incidents that can happen without warning. In a worst-case scenario, any of these has the potential for substantial harm to people, property, the environment and the economy.
“A major rail incident is rare,” a city spokesperson said in an email, adding the industry has significant regulations, standards and protocols in place
