The Expected Environmental Catastrophe

Here’s a story (in Spanish) from La Jornada about the impending railroad accident that imperils Cd. Juarez and El Paso:

El corazón del centro histórico de Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, es atravesado a diario por un tren de carga en que Ferromex transporta todo tipo de productos hacia Estados Unidos; desde granos hasta sustancias peligrosas. Además de los inconvenientes al tránsito vehicular y peatonal, se cierne sobre la urbe la posibilidad permanente de un descarrilamiento, situación que causaría graves daños ambientales y el riesgo de explosiones que afectarían la salud e incluso la vida de cientos de personas.

En ese ferrocarril van enganchados carrotanques cargados de químicos, como cloro y ácido sulfúrico. La reubicación de las vías en las afueras de esta zona metropolitana, habitada por millón y medio de personas, es una demanda histórica. Sin embargo, el dogma del libre comercio, los intereses de empresas ferroviarias en ambos lados de la frontera y la negligencia de las autoridades no han permitido que se avance hacia ese objetivo.

In other words:

The heart of historic downtown Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, is crossed daily by a freight train used by Ferromex to transport all kinds of products to the United States; from grains to hazardous substances. In addition to the inconveniences to vehicular and pedestrian traffic, the city is constantly threatened by a derailment, a situation that would cause serious environmental damage and the risk of explosions that would affect the health and even the lives of hundreds of people.

Tank cars loaded with chemicals, such as chlorine and sulfuric acid, are attached to this railroad. The relocation of the tracks to the outskirts of this metropolitan area, inhabited by one and a half million people, is a historical demand. However, the dogma of free trade, the interests of railroad companies on both sides of the border, and the negligence of the authorities have not allowed progress toward this goal.

The story was written by local hero Willivaldo Delgadillo.

Read the whole piece at LaJornado.com.mx.