U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell released a statement Thursday on the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration’s announcement on proposed legislation on vapor pressure for crude oil transported by train.
The proposal announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation deals with receiving input on potentially setting levels of allowable vapor in crude oil containers being hauled by train.
“I applaud the Department of Transportation for taking this important step to regulate the dangerous and volatile crude oil being transported through communities across Washington state and the nation. The volatility of crude oil must be regulated by the federal government, not private corporations,” Cantwell said in the release.
The letter followed efforts by Cantwell stretching back to a 2015 proposal Cantwell helped pass requiring the Department of Transportation and the Department of Energy to study crude oil volatility.
