North Dakota plans to ask the Trump administration to intervene in a dispute over Washington state’s new safety restrictions on oil shipped by rail.
North Dakota’s attorney general intends to petition the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to tell Washington that it doesn’t have the authority to require crude shipped by rail through the evergreen State to have more of its volatile gases removed than North Dakota requires. Washington passed the requirement to reduce the chances of massive explosions during derailments.
North Dakota officials say the Washington requirement essentially bans crude-by-rail traffic to refineries throughout the Pacific Northwest and is a potential blow to North Dakota’s energy industry. North Dakota is also working on a federal lawsuit against Washington alleging that the requirement violates interstate commerce law. (AP)
