WASHINGTON – Senators from six states,
led by New York’s Charles Schumer, Thursday called on the federal
Office of Management and Budget to quickly finalize tough, new and comprehensive
standards for the movement of crude oil by train.
The federal Department of Transportation previously announced its new
rules for crude oil transport in DOT-111 cars requiring that they be retrofitted
to make them safer and to replace them in two years.
Those rules have yet to be promulgated.
Schumer was joined by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Robert Casey
(D-PA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Al Franken (D-MN), Richard Durbin (D-IL),
and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in urging quick finalization of the new standards.
The flammable Bakken crude oil is being transported by rail through the
Hudson Valley where last year there were two rail car derailments, fortunately
with no spills.
