Emergency Responders Seek More Firefighting Foam To Prep For Rail Disaster

As more crude oil travels through Wisconsin by rail than ever before, first responders say they need more firefighting foam to prepare for the possibility of a major train derailment.

Wisconsin Emergency Management Administrator Brian Satula, the state’s top emergency official, said that his agency is working to stockpile more of the expensive material and that rail companies are stepping up as well. He said he has a goal of storing fire-extinguishing foam within two hours of where a derailment could occur.

Satula has his eyes on five sites, including the Milwaukee area by this fall. He said he’s looking to purchase 1,500 gallons of foam for the metro area, which can produce 50,000 gallons of firefighting material once water is added.

He hopes the foam will be paid for by a federal Homeland Security grant.

“Part of that process is not just appropriating the funds, but also finding somebody who’s going to move that foam, because we don’t have state agencies in those areas that we’ve identified,” Satula said. “We need to work with a local fire department or a public works agency.”

Last year, La Crosse’s fire chief was concerned he didn’t have enough foam to fight a major oil train blaze. This came at a time when the area was seeing an increase in crude oil shipped by rail, and BNSF Railway proposed adding a second track through the city.

BNSF’s expansion was eventually approved and as part of the deal, spokeswoman Amy McBeth said the rail company purchased foam for the area.

“We’ve now stationed a foam fire trailer and a spill trailer here. There’ll be a second trailer that’s coming as well. So, those are additional resources that BNSF has made available that the community can use for other incidents,” McBeth said.

That foam trailer was even sent to Galena, Illinois after a derailment and oil spill in March. There, BNSF employees worked alongside first responders to put out the blaze. In Galena, 45 gallons of foam was used to help put out the fire.

According to the La Crosse Fire Department, a few local businesses also have supplies of foam they could tap into if there were a major emergency.

Currently, the state has one reserve of 1,600 gallons stored at Camp Douglas that’s valued at around $60,000. Satula estimated it could cost somewhere around $200,000 to build up the state’s supply.