Train in Quebec Crash Was Improperly Labeled for Oil Shipment, Investigators Say

A train carrying crude oil that crashed in Quebec in July and killed 47 people was mislabeled as carrying a less dangerous substance, Canadian investigators said.

“Test results indicate that the level of hazard posed by the petroleum crude oil transported in the tank cars on the accident train was not accurately documented,” Canada’s Transportation Safety Board said in a Sept. 11 report about the Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway train that crashed in Lac-Megantic.

TSB has asked regulators in the United States and Canada to review processes for how hazardous materials are identified and labeled.

“If a company does not properly classify its goods, they can be prosecuted under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act,” Canadian Transport Minister Lisa Raitt said in a statement.

Irving Oil Corp., which was due to receive the 72 oil tankers at a refinery in New Brunswick, was responsible for properly labeling the oil, TSB said.