Department of Transportation calls for new speed limits, phaseout of older cars.
SOURCE:The Great Energy Challenge
DESCRIPTION:
After a string of fiery oil train accidents in recent months, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on Wednesday proposed new rules seeking to address safety concerns over the increasing use of rail to transport crude oil.
The long-promised standards call for a phaseout or retrofit of older rail cars known as DOT-111s, which are known to be vulnerable to leaks and explosions, within two years; new speed and operational restrictions; and a stricter system for testing and classifying mined gases and liquids, among other measures.
(Related: “Oil Train Derails in Lynchburg, Virginia.”)
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KEYWORDS: Energy, National Geographic, Trains, Department of Transportation, transportation, Crude Oil, rail