AFPM President, Charles T. Drevna has responded to the DoT Emergency Restriction/Prohibition Order on the transport of crude oil by rail with the following:
‘We understand the DoT concern and share the common goal of advancing the safe and efficient transportation of crude oil shipped by rail. WE believe that all actions to advance rail safety should be data driven due to the complexities of the issue. Over the course of the last month, AFPM has been working on a request from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to collect quality data on crude characteristics (vapour pressure, flammable gas content, corrosiveness and flashpoint and boiling point among other inquiries.)
‘Today’s Emergency Restriction/Prohibition Order covering the transportation of crude oil leaves several questions unanswered, including what constitutes the appropriate frequency of testing for classification of petroleum products, and how crude oil transportation capacity could be impacted. AFPM hopes that as DoT implements the Emergency Order it will work collaboratively to answer these and other unanswered questions, which should be based on quality data provided by stakeholders that are legally accountable for transporting crude oil. We are also concerned of the immediate impact this Emergency Order will have on crude oil deliveries to refineries that make the transportation fuels our nation depends on. Finally, we believe that DoT should make data from Operation Classification, also called the Bakken Blitz, publically available for all stakeholders to review.’
Adapted from a press release by Claira Lloyd.