The Biden administration has suspended a Trump-era policy that allowed for the transportation of natural gas by rail. The Department of Transportation (DOT) said it was taking this action out of concern for public safety and the environment.
The DOT said it would suspend the policy until it could publish a new rule or until June 30, 2025, whichever comes first. The new rule would be designed to address the safety concerns raised by the Trump administration’s policy.
The DOT cited the derailment of a train carrying hazardous vinyl chloride in East Palestine, Ohio, earlier this year as one of the reasons for the suspension. The derailment did not involve natural gas, but it raised concerns about the safety of transporting flammable materials by rail.
The Trump administration had issued its policy in 2020, determining that bulk transport of liquified natural gas by rail was a “safe alternative.” The administration said that a certain type of tank car had an “established track record of safety in transporting other cryogenic flammable materials.”
The Biden administration has not said whether it will completely ban the transportation of natural gas by rail. However, the suspension of the Trump-era policy is a significant step in that direction.
