Monday, April 28, 2014

Transportation Dept. says it will send crude-oil-train rules proposals to White House this week

The U.S. Department of Transportation said it will send a comprehensive package of proposals regarding rail shipments of crude oil to the White House this week, Timothy Cama reports for The Hill. "The proposals will include some options for improving the standards for tanker cars that carry crude oil, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a blog post late Thursday." Last week Canada announced new safety rules for train cars carrying crude oil.

The federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has refused to set a deadline for new tank-car rules, even though the railroad industry petitioned for new rules three years ago. Since then, railway accidents involving cars carrying crude oil as skyrocketed, with more oil spilled on U.S. railways in 2013 than in the previous 37 years. That doesn't include a crude oil derailment in Quebec, 10 miles from Maine, that killed 47 people. The train originated in North Dakota. The Association of American Railroads also urged U.S. regulators in November to require retrofits and upgrades for nearly 100,000 cars. (Read more)

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