The New York Times reports: “Calling the movement of crude oil by rail an “imminent hazard” to the public, the federal Department of Transportation said on Wednesday that railroads would be required to notify local emergency responders whenever oil shipments traveled through their states.”  

“The emergency order follows a spate of accidents that have raised concerns about the safety of the trains that carry increasing amounts of crude oil from the Bakken region of North Dakota across the United States.”  

“It said railroads with trains that carry more than one million gallons of Bakken crude, the equivalent of about 35 tank cars, must provide state emergency commissions with detailed information about their shipments within the 30 days of the emergency order. Typically, oil trains carry 100 cars or more.”