ALBANY, N.Y. — U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said the country does not yet have the infrastructure to support the dramatic increase in crude oil now being transported by rail.
In an interview with Capital, Moniz said pipelines are a much safer way to transport oil.
“The Bakken shale has gone from close to nothing to a million barrels a day in a very short time,” he said. “And the infrastructure certainly just isn’t there, certainly in terms of pipelines to manage that.”
In 2010, Moniz said, there just ten loading sites for transferring oil to rail. Now there are dozens, and more are planned.
Moniz said pipelines are the best way to address the nation’s growing production of oil and gas, largely through fracking. The Obama administration is currently weighing an approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would run from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
The recent release of an environmental study that found the pipeline will not increase climate change has concerned environmentalists, who fear it may soon receive final approval from President Obama.
“What we probably need is more of a pipeline infrastructure and to diminish the need for rail transport over time,” he said. “Frankly, I think pipeline transport overall probably has overall a better record in terms of cost, in terms of emissions and in terms of safety.”
The tremendous increase in trains carrying crude oil is a rising issue in New York and across the country, with overall volume having shot up to 400,000 carloads in just a few years. A series of high-profile explosions and spills have drawn more attention to the issue, prompting the Cuomo administration recently to pledge to increase state regulation of the practice.
Moniz did not address any of the specific ways the rail industry can improve oil train safety, but said the U.S. Department of Transportation was looking closely at the issue and could issue new regulations this year. Moniz acknowledged that there has been a “statistically high” number of oil train accidents in recent months.
To continue reading, click here.