What's next for MMA?

roberttosh wrote:I thought the NIMBYS got the state to refuse to give Global the required permits to build the facility, but the state never said Pan Am couldn't run its trains along the route

Precisely what happened. The politicians (NIMBY'S) sought DEP and EPA wetland regs in order to throw enough roadblocks up that Global gave up on building a rail terminal. IMHO they could have won however lost a good sum of money in the process.

If any sort of Haz Mat restriction is instituted (very unlikely), the line becomes non viable as the haz mat is what pays the "freight" as they say. And barely at that.

I think it's worth noting that oil is hardly the most dangerous commodity shipped via rail. It's just the most high-profile one right now because of the Lac-Mégantic disaster. Unless I'm mistaken, doesn't Pan Am ship nuclear fuel to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and remove spent fuel? Yet you don't see Portsmouth NIMBYs up in arms.

I really think no matter how vocally residents oppose further oil shipments, they'll still happen. It might take a year or two to get the line rebuilt, but Lac-Mégantic has not seen its last oil shipment.

fogg1703 wrote:

roberttosh wrote:I thought the NIMBYS got the state to refuse to give Global the required permits to build the facility, but the state never said Pan Am couldn't run its trains along the route

Precisely what happened. The politicians (NIMBY'S) sought DEP and EPA wetland regs in order to throw enough roadblocks up that Global gave up on building a rail terminal. IMHO they could have won however lost a good sum of money in the process.

If any sort of Haz Mat restriction is instituted (very unlikely), the line becomes non viable as the haz mat is what pays the "freight" as they say. And barely at that.

Yep. Attacking the railroad is a legal loser because of interstate commerce protections. The NIMBY's in Winchester with PAR/Tighe Warehouse and in Upton with G&U are tilting at windmills with the STB and blowing tons of money in lawyer's fees for STB cases they don't have a prayer of winning. But here they unloaded both barrels at Global even though every public statement was about the RR, intending to cause collateral damage to the RR where the feds couldn't get them. State jurisdiction mostly, and they succeeded at harrassing Global enough that they gave up and figured it too expensive. If Global persevered it probably would've won, then the towns that were attacking PAR for sending Hazmat goods through their backyards would've had a futile cause with the STB reigning supreme. Shirley, MA was already gearing up to waste money on a Winchester- and Upton-like situation they couldn't win under STB jurisdiction, even though they are on the mainline and get Hazmat freights every day. But they don't have to when Revere and Chelsea were so successful at their "Operation Chaos" against Global.


Very effective at driving out business, ruining a town's tax base, and forcing the cost of fuel to rise...no? Watch these same NIMBY's bitch and moan to the state about lowering the gas tax in a few years when they can't for the life of them figure out why the price of fuel in MA runs higher than most other states.

The Portsmouth Navy Yard shipment of nuclear fuel is not a valid comparasion to the Lac-Megantic
situation. I don't believe Portsmouth receives any nuclear fuel by rail anymore. I am not familiar
with new unused nuclear fuel. Possibly, it is inert until activated in a reactor. Maybe, someone on
this board could comment on that.

Spent nuclear fuel is shipped out of the PSNY by rail in a special container car with some idler
cars on each end and a DODX caboose on the rear with DOD security personnel on board. B&M
police will "shadow" the train by road and I doubt the locomotive is left unattended at any time.
In recent years, this has been a once a year or so move. During the days of anti-nuclear protests
over the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant, the train from the Navy Yard to Rockingham and out of the
area did move at night a few times, so as not to stir up the protesters.

Dick H wrote:The Portsmouth Navy Yard shipment of nuclear fuel is not a valid comparasion to the Lac-Megantic
situation. I don't believe Portsmouth receives any nuclear fuel by rail anymore. I am not familiar
with new unused nuclear fuel. Possibly, it is inert until activated in a reactor. Maybe, someone on
this board could comment on that.

Spent nuclear fuel is shipped out of the PSNY by rail in a special container car with some idler
cars on each end and a DODX caboose on the rear with DOD security personnel on board. B&M
police will "shadow" the train by road and I doubt the locomotive is left unattended at any time.
In recent years, this has been a once a year or so move. During the days of anti-nuclear protests
over the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant, the train from the Navy Yard to Rockingham and out of the
area did move at night a few times, so as not to stir up the protesters.

Oh I agree that it is a completely different animal, I only used it as a comparison because anything nuclear is usually a target of uninformed people's concern.

Based on the knowledge level of the general public, if nuclear fuel can move via rail without protests, oil can too. The only reason anyone cares is that the disaster is still fresh in their minds.

At present,most of the "spent" Fuel Rods are kept in containment ponds at the plant sites,the "low level"
material(any item exposed to Radioactive material for a time) will wind up at the WIPP site in Carlsbad NM
which has rail service.
Yucca Mountain NV is the planned site for final storage of "spent" fuel rods ,will have rail service as well.
Any moves of this material is done as low profile as possible,GPS tracked,and plenty of security around/nearby.
Don't believe MM+A serves any nuke plants,But the FEDS would be ALL over it quietly on any rail move,
Civilian or Military material.

Since spent nuclear fuel is shipped in virtually indestructable steel casks, I dont think this is a fair comparison with crude oil trains. And besides, you wont see any 85 car spent nuclear fuel trains either.....though it is true Harry Reid wants no trains to Yucca Mountain....even if it is just one carload....

From The Portland Press Herald:

The Portland Press Herald wrote:Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway Ltd. is close to securing a loan that would allow the company to pay for its bankruptcy case and remain in business without draining it of funds that should go to victims of a disastrous July 6 derailment, an attorney representing the railroad said.

During a hearing Wednesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maine, railroad trustee Robert Keach, a Portland attorney, told Judge Louis Kornreich that he planned to file a motion soon about the proposed financing deal. Keach said it was too soon to specify the lender.

“If the arrangement that we have negotiated comes to fruition, and I believe that it will, that we have found a way to administer these cases in a way that won’t dilute recoveries to any creditors or victims,” he said.

Read more at: http://www.pressherald.com/news/Montrea ... uptcy.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sorry about the long hiatus, from browsing the disaster thread. It doesn't look that promising for any railroad involved. I doubt by the year anniversary of the disaster MMA will exist anymore.

Sale is in process. I predict oil back in the Spring.

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/0001/11/ ... 13/1419211" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CN9634 wrote:Sale is in process. I predict oil back in the Spring.

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/0001/11/ ... 13/1419211" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

To purchase this line before the total disaster liability is known or finalized, there must be something about this line the MMA was never able to exploit with their own resources.

toolmaker wrote:

CN9634 wrote:Sale is in process. I predict oil back in the Spring.

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/0001/11/ ... 13/1419211" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

To purchase this line before the total disaster liability is known or finalized, there must be something about this line the MMA was never able to exploit with their own resources.

What does that matter? The Liability is the MMA's and not the future buyers. They are just picking up the assets.

And towns along this line are likely gonna protest moving oil and other hazardous materials after the destruction of the town involved.

From The Portland Press Herald:

The Portland Press Herald wrote:The trustee overseeing the bankrupt Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway says the company will use two-person train crews in the U.S. if it gets the financing it needs.

Portland lawyer Robert J. Keach said the move comes in reaction to criticism of the railroad's decision to stick with one-person crews in the U.S. after one of its trains derailed and exploded in Lac-Megantic, Canada, in early July.
. . .
Keach said his decision should not be interpreted as an admission that a one-person crew is unsafe and he noted that the FRA does not require two-person crews in the U.S. But he said he would follow the FRA's "advice" on the matter.

Keach said he's been holding extensive talks with potential lenders and hoped to announce a financing deal soon. The goal is to sell the railroad by year's end, he said, and added that he has had "introductory" talks with potential buyers.

Keach said beefing up the crews is contingent on the financing, since the railway's budget needs to be increased to cover the additional labor cost.

Read more at: http://www.pressherald.com/news/MMA-wil ... ncing.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Buyers..... as in plural ? I wonder if EHH is in that buyers pool? I'm probably wrong but he is on the prowl and 50 million on the low side may entice him to leap. The CP is a Canadian icon and EHH could play the white knight to come in and clean up the mess while the Govt shovels boat loads of re-hab money and political goodwill his way. He could then lather up the Irvings and talk them out of the RR business while he takes the NBSR off their hands, and finally of course achieve his main goal, shoving a porcupine under the CN's saddle. IMHO he's gunning for them.