After derailed tank cars loaded with crude oil went up in flames in Oregon last week, United States Senator Charles Schumer is pushing for an emergency order against shipping that same oil across New York State by rail.
Crude oil from North Dakota’s Bakken fields is highly volatile and there have been spectacular fires caused by derailments. Hundreds of carloads pass through Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse daily on CSX.
Schumer wants oil companies to add a stabilizer to the oil to make it less likely to catch fire. He’s been pushing for years for stronger railroad tank cars that are less likely to be punctured in a crash.