An executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Wednesday, April 10, tasks the Federal Department of Transportation with creating a new rule in a little more than three months’ time that permits super-cooled liquid natural gas (LNG) to be transported by rail.
“The Secretary of Transportation shall propose for notice and comment a rule, no later than 100 days after the date of this order, that would treat LNG the same as other cryogenic liquids and permit LNG to be transported in approved rail tank cars,” the order states. “The Secretary shall finalize such rulemaking no later than 13 months after the date of this order.”
Natural gas trade and rail carrier groups have lobbied for years for the ability to supply LNG to the northeastern U.S. via rail. Current Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) safety rules do not allow the transport of LNG in rail tanker cars.
It is transported by truck and pipelines with one exception — Alaska Railroad was given a special authorization in 2015 to transport LNG by rail in portable containers transported on flatcars, Bloomberg News reports.
Read a Bloomberg News article on the order.
Read the executive order.
Related News
- BNSF Seeks Dangerous RCO Waiver
- Mourning the Loss of Brother Benjamin Bicknell
- I’m Not Qualified =’s I’m Not Doing It!
- Train Lengths Would Be Capped Under New Arizona Bill
- Senate Hearing Highlights the Good, the Bad, and The Ugly of RRB
- On-Duty Assault Leaves Amtrak Conductor Facing Financial Hardship
- Transit Equity Day: Remembering Rosa Parks
- Railroads Have Short Memories: East Palestine 3 Years Later
- RIDER Safety ACT Aims to Curb Transit Assaults Nationwide
- Rail Safety Is Too Important For Corporate Discretion