Brown Calls for Upgrade of Train Cars to Avoid Spills of Oil, Hazardous Materials

From the Akron Beacon Journal:
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown on Wednesday called for doing more to get rid of older railcars transporting hazardous materials to better protect Ohio communities. 
“We’ve seen too many derailments of trains with unsafe cars, often carrying crude oil and other hazardous material. It’s time to put a stop to these dangerous and costly spills,” Brown said in a teleconference. 
“That’s why I introduced legislation that would help reduce risks to communities near railroad tracks by phasing-out older tank cars, providing a tax credit to help companies upgrade to newer, safer cars and help communities better prepare for accidents,” he said. 
Up to 50 trains per week carrying volatile crude oil from North Dakota’s Bakken Shale pass through Ohio on their way to East Coast refineries. 
The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that trains carrying crude oil or ethanol will derail an average of 10 times per year for the next 20 years, causing as much as $4 billion in property damage.
Click here to continue reading this article.

The danger of transporting crude oil by train is certainly a very legitimate concern.  Of course, the upgrades Brown is calling for have a cost, and the article goes on to note that the funding would come from a $175-per-shipment fee on older tank cars.

Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter!

Popular posts from this blog

Fracktivist in Dimock Releases Carefully Edited Video, Refuses to Release the Rest

The Second Largest Oil and Gas Merger - Cabot and Cimarex

Is a Strong Oil Demand Expected This Year?