LNG by rail

US Appeals court blocks rule allowing movement of LNG by rail

WASHINGTON — A federal court has struck down a Department of Transportation rule on transportation of liquefied natural gas enacted in 2020, saying the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration did not sufficiently consider the safety risks involved.

Specifically, the decision by a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia agreed with a group of state attorneys general, environmental groups, and the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, who challenged the rule on...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/us-appeals-court-blocks-rule-allowing-movement-of-lng-by-rail

Environmental advocates question PHMSA’s inaction on LNG by rail

Environmental advocates are hoping the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Association (PHMSA) will soon release a proposed rulemaking that will become the new regulation governing the movement of liquefied natural gas by rail in the United States.

But advocates also say PHMSA has continuously missed its deadlines for both releasing the new proposed rule and suspending the current regulation set up by the Trump administration. That current rule, which allows companies to transport LNG...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/environmental-advocates-question-phmsas-inaction-on-lng-by-rail

Is transport of LNG by rail safe?

A train of tank cars travels down a rail track.

The debate on whether the U.S. federal government should allow the movement of liquefied natural gas by rail could come to a head this summer, with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) poised to make some big decisions.

By June 30, PHMSA and the Federal Railroad Administration are expected to issue their decision on whether they should temporarily suspend a 2020 rule allowing for the transport of LNG by rail via specialized tank cars while they review the impact on...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/is-transport-of-lng-by-rail-safe

Company’s LNG-by-rail special permit expiring, putting projects in doubt

A photograph of a freight train rolling by a rail crossing.

A special permit that would enable New Fortress Energy to haul liquefied natural gas via rail is expiring next week, raising questions about whether the company will move forward with a series of related projects.

The permit, granted by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) on Dec. 5, 2019, allows Energy Transport Solutions, a subsidiary of New Fortress Energy, to transport refrigerated liquid methane in Department of Transportation specification 113C120W tank cars.

Th...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/companys-lng-by-rail-special-permit-expiring-putting-projects-in-doubt

PHMSA seeks to suspend transport of LNG by rail

A photograph of a train of tank cars rolling through a rail crossing.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is seeking comments on whether it should suspend a July 2020 rule enabling the transport of liquefied natural gas via rail.

The suspension would last either until June 30, 2024, or a separate, companion rulemaking on whether to approve modifications to the requirements governing LNG by rail is completed.

PHMSA, which is collaborating with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on this proposed rulemaking notice, is taking...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/phmsa-seeks-to-suspend-transport-of-lng-by-rail

Power Index: Top 10 Biden regulatory reviews affecting freight markets

President Joe Biden’s election signaled a stark change in policies and priorities from those of the Trump administration — not uncommon when the White House flips political parties — highlighted by a flurry of executive orders that started just hours after Biden was inaugurated.

Included in those changes are a host of regulations that could also be reversed or altered (or already have been). Below are 10, in no specific order, that have the biggest ramifications for freight.

  • Regulation: FMCSA —...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/power-index-top-10-biden-regulatory-reviews-affecting-freight-markets

Is electrifying the freight rail network cost prohibitive?

A photograph of a train on a track. The train is connected to catenaries.

While electrification might suit such transportation modes as trucking, many say rail might not be a good fit.

Much of the effort to decarbonize the U.S. freight rail industry has focused on the use of battery-electric or hydrogen-powered locomotives. The industry is also looking into increasing network capacity via technology as a way to improve rail service and encourage more volumes to rail from truck.

But should the electrification of the freight rail network be viewed as another way the...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/is-electrifying-the-freight-rail-network-cost-prohibitive

New York congressman asks DOT to reverse LNG by rail rule

A photograph of tank cars in a rail yard.

A New York congressman for the greater Rochester area is asking the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to reverse a rule that allows the transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) unit trains.

Democrat Rep. Joseph D. Morelle said in a Nov. 13 letter addressed to U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Federal Railroad Administration Administrator Ron Batory that the safety concerns of transporting LNG via rail outweigh the benefits of running LNG trains through his district. 

In...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/new-york-congressman-asks-dot-to-reverse-lng-by-rail-rule

Environmental groups appeal permits for LNG export facility in New Jersey

A photograph of a tank car.

Environmental groups are appealing multiple permit approvals for a project that would include the transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG) via rail for export out of a New Jersey terminal. The organizations say the rail and truck transport of LNG needs more federal regulatory oversight given its volatile nature.

Delaware Riverkeeper Network and other local environmental groups are appealing permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/environmental-groups-appeal-permits-for-lng-export-facility-in-new-jersey

Environmental groups, states sue feds over LNG by rail

A photograph of tank cars parked at a rail yard.

Environmental groups, 14 states and the District of Columbia are suing federal agencies over regulation allowing the transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG) via rail.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) in June authorized the bulk transportation of LNG by rail, and the rule was expected to take effect Monday, a month after it was published in the Federal Register.

The rule, which was made in consultation with the Feder...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/environmental-groups-states-sue-feds-over-lng-by-rail

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