Rep. Lowey calls for Bakken crude oil transport ban

A fiery oil train wreck in North Dakota is leading to calls for tighter controls on transporting a highly volatile crude oil. A train carrying Bakken crude oil derailed early Wednesday in North Dakota

News 12 Staff

May 7, 2015, 1:02 AM

Updated 3,509 days ago

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A fiery oil train wreck in North Dakota is leading to calls for tighter controls on transporting a highly volatile crude oil.
A train carrying Bakken crude oil derailed early Wednesday in North Dakota and exploded into flames. As of Wednesday evening, a total of 10 cars of Bakken crude had exploded in the accident, forcing the evacuation of at least one small town.
Rep. Nita Lowey wants a ban on transporting the oil unless oil producers reduce its volatility.
Bakken is a highly volatile form of crude oil. It has been responsible for several explosive accidents.
New federal regulations are designed to make it safer to transport Bakken crude. Oil companies have been shipping Bakken by rail because they were pumping more than the existing pipeline system could handle.
Critics complain that companies have been using substandard tank cars, risking a disaster in the event of an accident.
Lowey's legislation would only ban transport of Bakken crude.