RSI-CTC launches litigation intervention effort

The Railway Supply Institute Committee on Tank Cars (RSI-CTC) says it has moved to intervene in pending litigation in three federal courts to support the U.S. Department of Transportation’s recently issued Final Rule covering transportation of flammable liquids by rail.

The litigation includes Village of Barrington, Ill. v. United States, No. 15-2040 (7th Cir.); Sierra Club v. Secretary of Transportation, No. 15-71461 (9th Cir.); and Riverkeeper, Inc. v. U.S. Department of Transportation, No. 15-1609 (2d Cir.).

“RSI-CTC has a longstanding commitment to safety and has taken an active role in advocating for and advising on the best ways to reduce the risk of transporting flammable liquids, including crude oil, by rail,” said RSI President Tom Simpson. “During the past two years, our members provided science-based information that was used in DOT’s development of the new regulations. The rules as written will significantly enhance tank car standards on an aggressive timeline. They were created in a well-established, thorough regulatory process that balanced numerous comments from interested parties and a wide range of factors. These legal challenges offer no realistic alternatives to the technical requirements established by the DOT, and only serve to create additional uncertainty and delay.”

More information from RSI-CTC on the development of tank car standards can be found online at www.tankcarresourcecenter.com. The membership of the RSI-CTC includes major manufacturers and lessors of rail tank cars who build more than 95% and own or lease more than 70% of tank cars operating in North America.