Lac-Mgantic residents divided over whether to move train tracks: BAPE report

Quebec's environmental review board, BAPE, has released its recommendations on the relocation of thetrain tracks running through Lac-Mgantic, four years after a freight train carrying crude oil derailed in the centre of town and exploded,killing47 people.

The report shows that residents in the Eastern Townships community aredivided over whether to keep the rail line where it is or to build a bypass around town.

The BAPE held extensive public consultationsand notedthat frequently, the hearingsbecame a public platform for residents to share their stories of how they have suffered since the catastrophic derailment.

• Lac-Mgantic study proposes almost 12 km of new track to skirt town

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Town favours bypass

Overall, five options were considered:two that would keep the tracks where they are now,and three that would see the rail linebypass the town.

The option favoured by the municipalityofLac-Mgantic, option three, is to reroute the train tracks to the north of town, an11.7-kilometre bypass, while many residents are in favour of leaving them where they are.

The detour path favoured by the town would roughly follow highway 161, minimizing the line's proximity to residences and businesses. It would cost an estimated$115 million to build.

TheBAPE saidLac-Mganticand surrounding municipalities favour this idea so much sothat the municipalityhadalready started its ownenvironmental assessment of that optionbefore Tuesday's report was released.

Publicopinion in the days immediately after the derailment reflected a desire tomove the line.

However, now manyresidents favour the first option, referred to as the "status quo option" in the report: keeping the rail line where it is.

The BAPE said it wasn't able to study this option properly, because the town ofLac-Mganticdismissed it from the start of the process. The reportsaid the status quo should be at least consideredand properly studied.

Calls to improve security, surveillance

Residents in favour of leaving the tracks where they are aremore likely to thinkthe derailment was caused by a series of human errorsand wantimproved security and surveillance for the existing rail line, according to the report.

Moving the trackswould simply transfer the problem to neighbouring municipalities, those residents told the BAPE.

Others thosein favour of moving the tracks said that the risk of another derailment is too high.

They are also concerned aboutthe steep grade of the segment of trackwhere the unattended train that derailed in 2013 had beenparked before its brakes failed and it began itsdescent into Lac Mgantic.