By TONI ELLINGTON
The State of North Dakota legislature has reached an agreement to fund a $523,000 program designed to improve railway safety. The program will be run by the state. The program established funding for one full time and one temporary railway inspector.
The program was proposed by legislators in response to accidents involving railcars carrying crude oil. In December 2013, an accident near Casselton, North Dakota created a toxic cloud and caused some residents to evacuate. Approximately 400,000 barrels of crude oil were spilled in the accident. In the last five years, North Dakota has experienced at least 75 railway accidents and equipment breakdowns, resulting in $30 million in damage to the state.
According to reports, rail traffic has increased more than 233% in North Dakota since 2000 due to the state’s oil boom. In 2014, North Dakota was the Number 2 oil-producing state in the country behind Texas. However, North Dakota lacks sufficient pipelines to carry crude oil from the Bakken Region. Over two-thirds of the oil is shipped by rail.
For more information and updates, stay tuned to this blog, or call Toni Ellington at (504) 599-8500.
No comments:
Post a Comment