API President and CEO Jack Gerard issued the following statement on 28th March 2014.
‘Our industry is and has been cooperating and sharing proprietary data with the Department of Transportation on the characteristics of crude oil. Reports to the contrary are false. We don’t know who the anonymous source is at DOT now saying otherwise, but we do know their accusation is completely untrue.
‘PHMSA Administrator Cynthia Quarterman recently testified before Congress that the oil and natural gas industry is sharing data with the government. Our focus is on safety, and we will continue to make sure the regulators have all the data they need.
‘Just today, the North Dakota Petroleum Council announced an additional effort to collect and share even more data to complement the proprietary company data that is already being shared with the government. Our industry is absolutely committed to working collaboratively with the regulators on a holistic approach to safety that considers prevention, mitigation and emergency response.’
Quarterman statement
Administrator Quarterman made the following statement in response to a question about data sharing during a subcommittee hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on February 26th:
‘I have talked to several companies, the CEOs of several companies, that are shipping Bakken crude. Many of them have been willing to talk on an individual basis, not as part of a bigger group, about what they are finding with respect to the characteristics of that crude, including those who are subject to current enforcement actions. So I really appreciate those individual companies who have been willing to step up and provide that information.’
Adapted from press release by Claira Lloyd