Attorneys general from 16 states recently opposed a proposal by the Trump Administration that would allow for the bulk transport of refrigerated liquid methane, known as liquefied natural gas (LNG), along existing rail corridors without any additional safety measures.
Current federal hazardous-material regulations do not permit LNG to be transported by rail because it is potentially explosive. LNG quickly volatizes into natural gas if not stored under cryogenic conditions of at least -260 degrees.
President Donald Trump directed the U.S. Department of Transportation last year to propose a rule that would permit LNG to be transported via rail. The deadline for finalizing the rulemaking is May.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued a proposal allowing LNG to be transported via trains of up to 100 tank cars operated by just a single conductor. The trains would use the same rail lines used by high-speed passenger trains and would travel through densely populated areas.
The proposal does not include basic safety precautions to mitigate the risk of catastrophic accidents and does not adequately evaluate the environmental and climate impacts, the comment said.
The coalition filed comments in response to a notice of proposed rulemaking issued by the federal PHMSA and urged for the proposal to be withdrawn until PHMSA and the Federal Railways Administration can complete safety and environmental studies.