Cramer Statement on Proposed Rule For Oil-By-Rail

Statement

Today the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) released a proposed rule to establish new requirements for the transportation of oil by rail. Congressman Kevin Cramer issued the following statement:

"While I still have to look through all the details of the proposed rule, it is assuring to see PHMSA moving the issue of rail safety forward. In order to build safer tank cars, the rail industry needs to know the construction standards prescribed by the federal government. While we need to also focus on preventing trains from derailing, a standard for rail car construction is appropriate given some accidents are inevitable. The issue of train speed must be approached with caution. We want a speed which ensures safety, but at the same time we don't want a reaction that results in a greatly increased number of trains. It is refreshing to see PHMSA providing a menu of options for enhanced safety as well as a public comment period, and I strongly encourage interested citizens to submit their responses. I have also received approval from the U.S. House Science, Space and Technology Committee for a hearing to examine recent studies on the characteristics of Bakken crude oil. I expect the hearing to take place sometime in September within the 60-day comment window.

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