Oil trains could be terror targets, opponents say

The terror attacks in Paris and the latest threats by ISIS have many people in New Jersey worried about safety and security. Some people in the state say that passenger trains aren't the only rail

News 12 Staff

Nov 20, 2015, 8:55 AM

Updated 3,267 days ago

Share:

The terror attacks in Paris and the latest threats by ISIS have many people in New Jersey worried about safety and security.
Some people in the state say that passenger trains aren't the only rail systems to protect. They say oil freight trains that travel through New Jersey could also be targets.
There has been a movement against oil freight trains in Bergen County for some time. The concern has been mostly about the environmental impact. However, with millions of gallons of explosive and flammable oil rolling through residential areas, some are concerned that the trains could be used for nefarious means.
"They're basically rolling bombs and they're a security risk to all of us," says Rosemary Dreger Carey, of Rivervale.
Dreger Carey and a group of other demonstrators rallied in Teaneck Thursday to call attention to the trains. They often refer to recent oil train explosions as a looming dangers.
"I suppose anything could be targeted," says David Lippman, of Teaneck. "It's strange. The oil comes out of the Mideast we get in trouble there. The oil comes out of the Midwest we get in trouble there."
Oil train concerns have prompted legislation in Trenton that could help the state monitor oil train traffic.