Safety is the point

Ozzie Knezovich says in his Oct. 8 column that “nothing in Proposition 2 does anything to increase public safety…” He appears to overlook the reality that unit oil trains of 100=plus tanker cars currently moving very explosive Bakken crude oil through our city multiple times a day, is a very serious danger.

Such trains have derailed and exploded more than 15 times in the U.S., including in June 2016 in Mosier, Oregon. Firefighters cannot put out these fires because the flames are too hot to respond to any fire suppressant. Fortunately, the derailment and explosion in Mosier occurred on a relatively calm day for the Columbia River Gorge. Otherwise fire could have wiped out the town and caused a major forest fire.

The core purpose of Proposition 2 is the prevention of such explosions and fires in the middle of Spokane’s business district, near Lewis & Clark High School, or in the densely populated areas like Browne’s Addition. How is that not a safety issue?

Another safety issue in Mosier was that Bakken oil got into the city’s water supply. Imagine poisonous Bakken crude oil in our aquifer, Spokane’s drinking water. Could happen if oil train tanks exploded.

Pauline Druffel

Spokane