The Chemical Facility Safety and Security Working Group is considering a major overhaul of handling and storage for volatile substances, The Hill says. The group’s latest report asks for comment on an array of options, including mandatory safeguards and a third-party audit system. President Obama formed the working group in response to the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, last April.
Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) called for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to hold a hearing on freight rail safety, especially DOT-111 tank cars, in response to last week’s BNSF oil train derailment and fire in North Dakota, The Hill reports. The train was using DOT-111 cars.