Baldwin Backs Plan To Immediately Scrap Aging Oil Tank Cars

One of Wisconsin’s U.S. senators is joining other Senate Democrats in supporting a bill that would immediately ban older tank cars for trains hauling crude oil.

The Crude-By-Rail Safety Act would also require safer tank car designs that include thermal protection.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin said regulators aren’t moving fast enough to protect communities where crude is shipped.

“It’s very clear from the derailments and explosions we’ve seen across the United States in recent weeks that this has to happen at a more rapid pace,” said Baldwin.

Association of American Railroads spokesman Ed Greenberg said major freight railroads support a major overhaul of tank cars.

“We believe every tank car moving crude oil today should be phased out or built to a higher standard,” he said.

But Greenberg said the ARA believes changes to federal rules guiding tank car standards will do just that, and that a separate bill isn’t needed. The U.S. Department of Transportation was set to finalize those rules in January, but that’s now been put off until May.