One year later: Chlorine cars back at Belmont

Almost one year after they first appeared, chlorine tanker cars have returned for storage on the railroad siding track at Belmont.

Cars disappeared for much of the fall, but have slowly been coming back during the winter months. Tom Bieker, whose front yard extends up to the fenced-off railroad track, counted more than 50 cars while looking out his window Tuesday.

“They move every so often,” said Bieker. “But they always come back”

The cars are being stored by Canexus, a Houston company that has a chlorine manufacturing plant in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Canexus primarily sells chlorine to municipalities and pool owners in the American Southwest. The company builds up its stock of chlorine in the winter and ships it south during the summer, when it is most needed.

Canexus listed security concerns with the 2010 Winter Olympics and a remodel of its Vancouver plant as reasons to use Belmont when the Gazette found out about the company’s plans in November 2009.

Marty Cove, logistics manager for Canexus, said the company’s $280 million plant remodel ran longer than they expected. Construction of new tracks was delayed from last year and is now expected to be built by summer.

He noted, though, that Belmont could become a permanent solution if it is shown to improve the flow of their Vancouver plant.

“It’s all about logistics. We have to see how the new track works up here,” said Cove. “And we have to weigh that against the costs, not only financially to us but also to the nearby residents. And we’re sensitive to that.”

Residents around Belmont expressed a lot of initial concern about the potential safety hazards of keeping some 45,000 tons of liquid chlorine in the neighborhood.

“They’re still not entirely happy about it, but we’re working with each other,” said Cove.

Bieker, too, said he and Canexus have come to develop a closer relationship with each other. His safety concerns have been eased somewhat by the regular inspections from state and federal railroad officials.

“They come by and check on it, so that makes me feel a little better. They’re trying. We’re working together,” said Bieker.