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Recent crude-by-rail accidents are adding fuel to a growing movement aiming to regulate this dangerous mode of oil transportation.
(Vladyslav Danilin / Shutterstock)

Article May 6, 2015

Yet Another Explosive Wake-Up Call

Two crude-by-rail accidents earlier this month highlight the urgent need to regulate this dangerous mode of oil transportation, which threatens communities along the tracks.

A crude oil train near the Richmond, CA, railyard.
(Chris Jordan-Bloch / Earthjustice)

Press Release May 1, 2015

Obama Administration Leaves Explosive Oil Trains on the Rails for Years

Long phase-out of hazardous cars, inadequate speed limits, deficient tanker shells leave communities at risk of catastrophe

On Monday, the Supreme Court will hear a case that may impact Amtrak's on-time performance.
(Photo courtesy of Gene Bowker)

Article December 8, 2014

Supreme Court Case Concerning Amtrak Contains Hidden Twist

On Monday, the Supreme Court will hear a case that may impact Amtrak's on-time performance.

document December 2, 2014

Petition: Groups Bring New Legal Action for Federal Ban of Dangerous Oil Tank Rail Cars

Federal agency refuses to act on hazardous rail cars carrying explosive Bakken crude

A train with DOT-111 tanker cars.
(Chris Jordan-Bloch / Earthjustice)

Press Release December 2, 2014

Groups Bring New Legal Action for Federal Ban of Dangerous Oil Tank Rail Cars

Federal agency refuses to act on hazardous rail cars carrying explosive Bakken crude

In November, local elected officials and Earthjustice Managing Attorney Patti Goldman (on far right) went to Washington, D.C., to protest lax crude-by-rail regulations.
(Photo courtesy of Jessica Ennis)

Article December 2, 2014

Locals Protest Lax Crude-by-Rail Regulations

Local communities are fed up with lax crude-by-rail regulations, so last month they took their complaints straight to Washington, D.C. and the Department of Transportation.

The fireball that followed the derailment and explosion of two trains, one carrying Bakken crude oil, on December 30, 2013, outside Casselton, ND.
(U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration)

Article October 10, 2014

A Tombstone Mentality On Exploding Oil Trains

It’s senseless to double the crude-by-rail fleet before replacing faulty oil train cars

A crude oil train in a California rail yard.
(Chris Jordan-Bloch / Earthjustice)

Press Release September 30, 2014

145,000+ Public Comments on Draft Federal Oil Train Regulations Cite Weak Safety Standards

Call for immediate ban on dangerous tanker cars

document September 11, 2014

Mandamus Petition

Petition for a writ of mandamus regarding an emergency order prohibiting the shipment of Bakken crude in unsafe tank cars

The crude-by-rail explosion in Lac-Mégantic, Canada, killed 47 people in 2013.
(Photo courtesy of Sûreté du Québec)

Press Release September 11, 2014

Administration Failing to Protect Public From Dangerous Crude Oil Trains

Groups file lawsuit against Department of Transportation for inadequate action on oil train risks

An oil train in Southern California.
(Photo courtesy of Russ Allison Loar)

Article July 25, 2014

Federal Government Would Allow Exploding Rail Cars To Keep Rolling for 3 to 6 Years

The Department of Transportation has proposed long-overdue rules to improve the safety of tank cars used to ship highly volatile Bakken crude oil and other hazardous fuels across America.

A plume of smoke and fire from one of crude oil tank car explosion in Casselton, ND on December 30, 2013.
(Dawn Faught via National Transportation Safety Board)

Press Release July 23, 2014

Obama Administration Proposal Allows Dangerous Oil Trains to Keep Rolling

Proposal would allow dangerous, outdated freight cars to keep going through communities

case July 18, 2014

Banning the Use of Hazardous Rail Cars

Sierra Club and ForestEthics, represented by Earthjustice, filed a formal legal petition in July 2014 to compel the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue an emergency order prohibiting the use of hazardous rail cars—known as DOT-111s—for shipping flammable Bakken crude oil. The National Transportation Safety Board has repeatedly found that the DOT-111…

document July 15, 2014

Legal Petition: Community Leaders, Advocates Call on Secretary of Transportation To Ban Use of Hazardous Rail Cars

Today, two national environmental organizations filed a formal legal petition to compel the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue an emergency order prohibiting the use of hazardous rail cars — known as DOT-111s — for shipping flammable Bakken crude oil. The National Transportation Safety Board has repeatedly found that the DOT-111 tank cars are prone to puncture on impact, spilling oil and often triggering destructive fires and explosions. The Safety Board has made official recommendations to stop shipping crude oil in these hazardous tank cars, but the federal regulators have not heeded these pleas.

document July 15, 2014

What People Are Saying About Rail Safety And Oil

Press Release July 15, 2014

Community Leaders, Advocates Call on Secretary of Transportation To Ban Use of Hazardous Rail Cars

Seek emergency order banning the use of hazardous rail cars to ship explosive crude oil

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