Federal legislation would set tougher safety standards for freight trains carrying crude oil. It’s a concern, given the heavy volume of such traffic rolling through Wisconsin each week. Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin is one of four U.S. Senators proposing the bill, which would halt the use of more than 100,000 older tanker cars not designed to carry volatile crude from fields in North Dakota and Montana. The measure would also require federal authorities to write rules to reduce the volatility of the oil.
At a Washington D.C. press conference, Baldwin said it’s critical that appropriate safety measures are in place to reduce the risk of deadly accidents. A Burlington Northern train which was involved in a fiery derailment in Illinois earlier this month had passed through Wisconsin just a short time before.
