Derailment after derailment. They just keep happening.

Since early February, there have been at least six train derailments in North America carrying crude from North Dakota’s Bakken Shale. These accidents have sparked increased calls from citizens, the rail industry and lawmakers for the federal government to increase safety regulations.

To keep up with these incidents and new safety regulations, PublicSource provides a roundup of stories every Friday.

 

Gov. Tom Wolf wants the two big railroads hauling crude oil in Pennsylvania to voluntarily adopt tougher safety rules already in use by another major railroad. BNSF has slowed speed limits down to 35 mph for trains moving the product through areas with a population more than 100,000 and it has increased the frequency of track inspections on oil routes. -StateImpact Pennsylvania.

Wolf urges railroads to adopt oil train safety measures

 

The U.S. military is concerned about crude oil trains traveling near nuclear missiles buried underground in North Dakota. –The Rachel Maddow Show.

US military alarmed about oil train proximity to missile sites

 

Federal reports and safety data show that accidents on railroads that involved fires have doubled in the past year and hazardous materials releases have increased two years in a row. –New England Center for Investigative Reporting.

Rail safety fact check: Fires, spills up despite industry claim

 

U.S. refiner Tesoro Corp. plans to use a tougher tank car to haul crude oil. The cars are typically used to carry more flammable materials and their safety features surpass new federal standards for tank cars moving crude oil. –Reuters.

Tesoro building crude railcars stronger than new US rules require

 

Another environmental group sues the federal government for new rules on crude-by-rail safety. Several groups have said the new standards fail to protect the public from the risks of explosive trains. –Albany Times Union.

Riverkeeper sues U.S. DOT over oil train safety rules

 

Requiring energy producers to strip more of the gases from Bakken crude oil before its hauled on trains could help prevent deadly accidents. –The New York Times.

How to prevent an oil train disaster

 

Reach Natasha Khan at 412-315-0261 or nkhan@publicsource.org. Follow her on Twitter @khantasha.

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Natasha is PublicSource's creative director. She runs the organizations visuals team, edits and produces interactive graphics, data visualizations and web packages for PublicSource. She manages the website...