(Source: National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) press release, June 29, 2016)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Transportation Safety Board is scheduled to hold a roundtable discussion here next month on the safety of transporting flammable liquids, such as crude oil and ethanol, by rail.
The July 13, 2016, event, planned for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., will bring together representatives from the railroad industry, rail-car manufacturers and owners, and industry associations to discuss the progress of moving to a new, more robust rail tank car – the DOT 117.
“We need to make the transportation of these flammable liquids safer,’’ said NTSB Board Member Robert Sumwalt, who will be moderating the roundtable. “That includes making sure trains stay on the tracks and having rail tank cars that can keep their product contained in the event of a derailment or crash.”
The NTSB has investigated nine accidents involving flammable liquids transported by rail during the past five years. The NTSB has issued eight safety recommendations calling for stronger and safer tank cars, including a recommendation that federal officials provide updates on the progress of the integration of the DOT 117 into the nation’s rail fleet. The issue of improving rail tank car safety is included in the NTSB’s 2016 Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements
Event webpage, “Roundtable Discussion: A Dialogue on What’s Next in Rail Tank Car Safety:”
http://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Pages/2016_rtcs_RT.aspx