"Safety Regulations Issued for Trains Carrying Oil"

"Responding to public pressure to act more quickly after a series of fiery train derailments involving oil shipments, the Transportation Department on Friday issued a series of emergency orders, including a 40-mile-an-hour speed limit for hazardous materials moving through urban areas.

The emergency rules also require railroads to provide detailed information about a shipment within 90 minutes of any derailment.

Federal regulators are under increasing pressure from members of Congress and local officials to publish new safety regulations for the growing business of transporting crude oil by train. Those new rules, in the works for more than two years, were sent to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget two months ago. They are expected to be made public by May 12."

Jad Mouawad reports for the New York Times April 17, 2015.


SEE ALSO:

"Oil Trains Ordered to Go Slow in Urban Areas" (Environment News Service)