Dozens Of Oil Trains Pass Through Minnesota Weekly
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Railroad documents released by the state Department of Public Safety show about 50 trains carrying crude oil from North Dakota are passing through Minnesota each week.
Documents obtained by The Associated Press show that nearly all of the oil trains pass through populated areas. Ramsey County averages about 45 trains a week, as does Clay County, which borders Fargo, North Dakota.
The documents indicate that each train carries more than 1 million gallons of crude oil.
The railroads were required to provide the traffic flow summaries to states so first responders could prepare for potential emergencies. Federal regulators have been under pressure to improve oil train safety after several derailments, including one that killed 47 people in Quebec last July.
(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
