Feds issue another crude-by-rail emergency order, advisory to enhance safety [View all]

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Feds issue another crude-by-rail emergency order, advisory to enhance safety

Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation
5/8/2014

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) yesterday issued an emergency order requiring all railroads operating trains containing large amounts of Bakken crude oil to notify State Emergency Response Commissions (SERCs) about the operation of those trains through their states.

The order requires that each train carrying more than 1 million gallons of Bakken crude, or about 35 tank cars, in a particular state provide the SERC notification regarding the expected movement of such trains and the affected counties. The notification must include estimated volumes of Bakken crude, frequencies of anticipated train traffic and the planned routes. The order also requires that railroads provide the SERCs contact information for at least one responsible party and help the commissions share the information with appropriate emergency responders in affected communities.
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Meanwhile, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) yesterday issued a safety advisory strongly urging those shipping or offering Bakken crude to use tank-car designs with the highest available level of integrity. The FRA and PHMSA also are advising carriers and offerers to avoid the use of older legacy "DOT-111" or "CTC-111" tank cars to transport Bakken crude.

"Changes in railroad operations over the last several years, including increased rail traffic, higher in-train forces due to the transportation of hazardous materials tank cars at higher gross rail loads, and the likelihood of individual tank cars accumulating more miles annually, have resulted in tank car design changes to accommodate these increased stresses and to significantly reduce the chances of a catastrophic failure," FRA and PHMSA officials said in the safety advisory. "Design changes include new tank car steel and improvements of structural features. Older 'legacy' tank cars, however, without more modern construction and design enhancements, continue to be used to transport hazardous materials, including Bakken crude oil."

Emergency Order UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Petroleum Crude Oil Railroad Carriers
Docket No. DOT-OST-2014-0067

EMERGENCY RESTRICTION/PROHIBITION ORDER

This notice constitutes an Emergency Restriction/Prohibition Order (Order) by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT; Department) pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 5121(d). This Order is issued to all railroad carriers that transport in a single train in commerce within the United States, 1,000,000 gallons or more of UN 1267, Petroleum crude oil, Class 3,{1} sourced from the Bakken shale formation in the Williston Basin (Bakken crude oil). By this Order, DOT is requiring that each railroad carrier provide the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) for each state in which it operates trains transporting 1,000,000 gallons or more of Bakken crude oil, notification regarding the expected movement of such trains through the counties in the state. The notification shall identify each county, or a particular state or commonwealth’s equivalent jurisdiction (e.g., Louisiana parishes, Alaska boroughs, Virginia independent cities) (county), in the state through which the trains will operate.

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Hat tip, Trainorders, for the link to Inside Climate News.

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