05.01.15

Hoeven Statement on DOT's Release of New Oil Train Safety Regulations

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement in response to the Department of Transportation’s new oil train safety regulations:

“This morning, the Department of Transportation issued new safety regulations for moving crude oil by rail, including a revised standard for tanker car construction and new rules governing speed and braking. We will now review the new rules carefully to make sure they enable the industry to move crude oil safely and efficiently.

“We have been pushing for measures to make the transport of crude oil safer since 2012, when we asked the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to issue a new standard for safer tanker car construction. This new construction standard was and is vitally important because industry needs regulatory certainty in order to make the substantial investment required to deploy a newer and safer fleet of tankers.

“Our objective is to prevent accidents in the first place and to mitigate their impacts when they do occur. That means not only a final rule for tanker car construction, but also more inspectors and track inspections, improved classification of materials, conditioning to reduce volatile gases before crude is shipped and enhanced training for first responders.

“In the end, all of us – regulators, railroads, oil shippers and first responders on the state, local and federal levels – have a role to play in ensuring that our communities are safe when trains carrying oil pass through them.”

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