Eight Steps for Safer Oil Trains Eyed by U.S. Officials

U.S. officials are weighing a wide range of actions to address what they view as the increasing public risk due to oil trains. Thanks to the booming oil production in North Dakota’s Bakken shale, and the ramp-up of ethanol production throughout the Midwest, U.S. railways now are carrying an unprecedented volume of flammable liquid—and the majority of tank cars used for those liquids are prone to be punctured in an accident, safety investigators have been warning for 20 years. (See related story: "Illinois Village Leads Charge for Tougher Oil Train Rules.")

An unusual meeting between U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and oil and rail industry officials on Thursday indicated that authorities are looking at steps beyond just bolstering the notorious DOT-111 tank car, a measure that is itself controversial and potentially costly. 

Read more in "Eight Steps for Safer Oil Trains Eyed by U.S. Officials" on The Great Energy Challenge Energy Blog.