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North Dakota leaders call for safer rails

Oil train derailment in December sparks state concerns.

By Daniel J. Graeber

BISMARCK, N.D., Oct. 7 (UPI) -- The Department of Transportation needs to finalize best practices to ensure the safe transit of crude oil by rail, Sen. John Hoeven said from Bismarck.

Hoeven, R-N.D., was on hand for the launch of a rail safety session, hosted by rail companies GATX Corp. and BNSF Railway. Since December, Hoeven said he's been meeting with Department of Transportation and Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration officials to discuss rail transit.

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"We continue to push DOT to finalize effective and practical rules for tanker car construction so tank car owners like GATX have the certainty they need to upgrade their fleets, which is a vital part of the effort to make rail transport safer," he said during the Monday launch of the session.

The PHMSA issued a safety alert in January saying the type of crude oil in the Bakken reserve area of North Dakota may be more flammable than other grades. Days earlier, a BNSF Railway train carrying Bakken crude oil derailed near the town of Casselton, N.D.

A July report from the Department of Transportation called for the eventual elimination of older rail cars designated DOT 111 used to ship flammable liquids, "including most Bakken crude oil."

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The North Dakota Petroleum Council in May published a study saying crude oil taken from the Bakken reserve area does not pose a greater risk when transported by rail.

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