Canada Transport Board Welcomes U.S. Oil-by-Rail Ideas; Warns Dangers Remain

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada on Thursday welcomed proposed U.S. regulations for oil-by-rail tankers, but cautioned of the persistent danger until tank cars built before 2011 stop carrying oil and other flammable liquids.

The independent federal agency, which investigates accidents and makes recommendations but has no regulatory power, assessed U.S. proposals in April on enhanced tanker car standards and a U.S. recommendation in May that railways avoid using old cars to carry volatile Bakken crude.

It marked as “satisfactory in part” the U.S. response to its recommendation that all DOT-111 cars carrying oil and other flammable liquids meet enhanced protection standards. It said until tankers meet or exceed what became known as CPC-1232 standards introduced in 2011, “the risk will remain.”

(Reporting by Randall Palmer; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)