West Virginia is in an official state of emergency after a 109-car train carrying Bakken crude oil derailed Monday afternoon. What followed: explosions, a huge fire that took down a home, the evacuation of more than 1,000 people and crude oil leaking into the Kanawha River.
And last month, a train derailed in Virginia, spilling some 50,000 gallons of crude oil into the James River and engulfing three train cars in flames.
The accidents are drawing more attention to a San Luis Obispo refinery's proposal to bring crude oil by train through California, including Monterey County.
According to the Feb. 17 Mesa Refinery Watch Group newsletter, 10 local governments—including Berkeley, Oakland, San Jose and Ventura County—have raised concerns about the proposal. No Monterey County jurisdictions have weighed in.
A VICE News documentary takes an in-depth look at the issue of crude oil on North American rail lines. Take a look:
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