The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has issued a final rule that requires railroads to develop and submit comprehensive oil spill response plans for route segments traveled by high-hazard flammable trains.
The rule applies to trains that are transporting petroleum oil in a block of 20 or more loaded tank cars and trains that have a total of 35 loaded petroleum oil tank cars.
The 174-page final rule provides regulatory flexibility and improves response readiness to mitigate the effects of rail accidents and incidents involving petroleum oil and the flammable trains, PHMSA said in a Feb. 14 announcement. The agency said the rule also is needed due to expansion in U.S. energy production having led to “significant challenges for the country’s transportation system.”
It revises the oil spill response plan requirements that currently oblige railroads to establish geographic response zones along various rail routes and ensures that both personnel and equipment are staged and prepared to respond in the event of an accident.