Fiery Rail Spills Puts Safety Focus on Cutting Oil’s Volatility
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A series of rail accidents involving oil tank cars that exceed federal safety standards yet still burst into flames after derailing is shifting the focus from the container to the crude -- and whether it’s too explosive to be carried by train.
A wreck over the weekend in Canada brought the total to four in less than a month in the U.S. and Canada. All involved relatively modern tank cars known as the CPC-1232, which are designed to be sturdier than a model that regulators have said are prone to rupture.