April 2014, Vol. 241 No. 4
Government
Rail Transportation Of Oil: A Growing Congressional Safety Concern
Both House and Senate committee leaders with jurisdiction have begun to show impatience with what they view as out-of-date federal regulations on railroads carrying oil produced in the Bakken, Eagle Ford and Marcellus shale regions. “The shale oil boom has dramatically changed the energy sector in our country,” says Sen. Jay Rockfeller (D-WV), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. “While the changes bring opportunities for robust economic development, they also raise serious safety concerns of shipping large amounts of crude on the railroads running through our communities.” The committee held hearings on March 6. House members, who held their own
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