Senator Rockefeller Urges President To Have OMB Act On Crude-By-Rail Proposed Rulemaking
Earlier this week, U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, sent a letter to President Obama urging him to have the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) act on the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) proposed crude-by-rail rulemaking “as expeditiously and thoroughly as possible.” Citing the disaster in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, and more recent crude-by-rail incidents in the United States, Senator Rockefeller pleaded, “Mr. President, we cannot wait for another devastating derailment and explosion to happen here that will force us into action. The time to act is now.” Although the letter commended DOT’s recent steps to address crude-by-rail safety, Senator Rockefeller remains “deeply concerned that many of these steps will not have the needed impact without significant regulatory changes and more effective oversight.” The full letter is available here.
