Schumer Calls for Safer Railcars to Transport Oil, Ethanol
by Tom Magnarelli (Innovation Trail) Sen. Charles Schumer is calling on the Department of Transportation to retrofit or phase out a specific type of railway car that carries crude oil and ethanol. The DOT-111 is the same kind of tank car as those that derailed and exploded in July in a small town in Quebec, killing 47 people and destroying 40 buildings.
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Schumer told reporters these railcars should be either retrofitted or eliminated.
“First, there are new cars that are safer,” Schumer said. “But second, to retrofit a car only costs $15,000. The cars are actually owned or leased long term by the oil companies. They’re making a fortune on all this new oil, so it is a small price to ask them to pay.” READ MORE