Lac-Megantic train explosion... Who is MMA Railway chairman Ed Burkhardt? Ed Burkhardt, the president of the U.S.-based rail company at the focus of the Lac-Megantic disaster, was under heavy fire as he visited the devastated town Wednesday. Some residents heckled Burkhardt for waiting four days to appear in Lac-Megantic while many turned to social media to express their views after Burkhardt’s press conference. Burkhardt said he stayed in his hometown of Chicago to deal with the crisis from his office, where he said he was better able to communicate with insurers, the media and officials in different places during what he described as 20-hour work days. "Railway owners in Lac Megantic explosion had brakes fail before..." In 1996, Burkhardt served as the chairman and president of Wisconsin Central Ltd when one of the company’s trains derailed and exploded in the town of Weyauwega, Wisconsin. Large amounts of propane and liquefied petroleum gas burned for more than two weeks, requiring the emergency evacuation of over 2,000 residents, including 1,700 residents of Weyauwega for 16 days. At that time, assistant fire chief Jim Baehnman called the incident the “safest disaster in American history” due to the fact there were no injuries or deaths. In report released by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, experts determined the probable cause of the accident wasa switch point rail, which broke because of an undetected bolt hole crack. “Wisconsin Central management did not ensure that the two employees responsible for inspecting the track were properly trained,” the report read. The report also revealed that many characteristics that were indicative of problems in the joint and bolt hole area were “tell-tale signs of a problem that should have been observed and acted upon well trained, vigilant track inspectors and their supervisors.” In 1999, Burkhardt was asked to resign and leave the company after Wisconsin Central. (read more...)
Posted on: Fri, 12 Jul 2013 00:55:44 +0000
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