On Saturday, July 11th, join us at Schuylkill River Park at Spruce and 25th Streets to stop oil trains shooting through the heart of Philadelphia!

Ending oil train threats by: 

• banning all tank cars in use today
• restoring environmental justice
• demanding community workshops on crude by rail emergency response plans to protect public safety and community health
• creating a renewable and sustainable energy future in Philadelphia.

Commemorating the second anniversary of the oil train disaster at Lac Megantic, Quebec, Canada, where 47 people lost their lives.

Joining in solidarity with communities across U.S. and Canada to stop dangerous and toxic oil trains during this week of action, July 6-12!

Location:

Trail access via the Schuylkill River Park, 25^th and Spruce Streets, Philadelphia, just upstream from South Street Bridge; main assembly at the pedestrian footbridge that crosses over the train tracks at Schuylkill River Trail Park. The oil trains travel through this major urban trail head and gem of a city park, and through dozens of Philly’s neighborhoods more than twice a day, carrying highly flammable Bakken crude that tends to explode in a fiery bomb in train derailments.  

"Rainbow Bridge to Philly's Energy Future", a leafletting and visual education area, will take place on the footbridge for most of the afternoon and early evening, as well. Child and family friendly activities and lots of visuals and creative expression to affirm life in Philly.

SCHEDULE

* 2:00 pm - Assemble at the footbridge area 

* 2:30 pm – Press Conference

* 3:00 pm – Remembrance of lives lost in Lac Megnatic

* 3:15 pm – March for environmental justice and solidarity across our nations – New Orleans style funeral procession with West Philadelphia Orchestra, decorated umbrellas and banners

* 3:30 pm through 5:00 pm - "Rainbow Bridge to Philly's Future" visual arts workshop and info-graphics gallery for ages 5-adult.

- Rainbow balloon hanging

- Child-friendly oil train and rainbow of renewables pavement chalking

- Summer treats

* Photo ops, outreach and creative happenings all afternoon!  

Why?

On July 6, 2013, an oil train exploded in the small town of Lac Megantic, Quebec, killing 47 people. Two years later, big oil is pushing harder than ever to move even more oil trains through North America;  five have exploded in five months, and with shipping at 50X the rate of just 8 years ago, a major catastrophe is only a matter of time in Philadelphia due to all the Bakken oil train traffic in our neighborhoods and over our water supplies.

Recently updated federal rules on crude-by-rail transport did nothing to improve safety while adding new hurdles to public information about the hazard. While an oil train erupted in flames in Galena, IL, lobbyists for big oil met with Federal regulators pressuring them to weaken the rules. Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in South Philadelphia has become the largest consumer of Bakken crude oil in the nation and there have already been two oil train derailments in our City. The US Department of Transportation has overwhelming evidence that calls for the use of DOT 111 and CPC 1232 tank cars to be prohibited, yet recent updates to crude by rail safety standards failed to protect the 25 million Americans who live in the oil train blast zone, allowing inadequate tank cars to continue to be in use for up to ten years. Now is the time to demonstrate the growing urgency to ban all unsafe oil tank cars - BEFORE another tragedy occurs.

Industry and their allies want to develop Philadelphia into a dirty energy hub exploiting shale oil and gas. Not only does this expose hundreds of thousands of people to the dangers and pollution of oil trains, pipelines, shipping and other infrastructure, it worsens the air and water pollution people suffer in the neighborhoods near the PES refinery. Philadelphia is not a sacrifice zone!

Please join your neighbors to fight for sustainable, renewable, clean energy sources and energy efficiency that will grow a green economy with fair wages for a diverse work force in our City. Please help us fight for Philadelphia’s health and prosperity, the way we, the people who live and work here, want it, not the way greedy special interests want it. The time to act is now. We must stand up and protect our communities.

Please contact us to get involved, volunteer, or co-sponsor this event. All are welcome! Contact the Philly Fossil Fuel Transport Working group: 

Tracy: tracy@delawareriverkeeper.org  215-369-1188 x104 or Mary: mdonahue@cleanwater.org 215-545-0250.

To help with visuals or receive support in organizing an event in your neighborhood, contact: Liz Arnold: arnold.elizabeth@gmail.com; 267-745-7041.

Keep the City of Brotherly Love colorful and alive! Protect public health and communities first! End Oil Train Threats!

Please join our event in Schuylkill River Trails Park, next to the oil train tracks, on July 11, 2015!