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Canada To Phase Out Old Rail Tank Cars In 3 Years

Harvey Henkelmann/Wikimedia Commons

Canada will require a three-year phase out of the type of tank cars involved in the Quebec train derailment last summer that killed 47.

Last July, a runaway oil train derailed and exploded in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. Forty-seven people were incinerated and 30 buildings destroyed.
Canada's Transport Minister will announced new rules Wednesday in response to recommendations by Canada's Transportation Safety Board in the aftermath of the tragedy.

DOT-111 tanker cars used to carry used to transport crude oil and ethanol must be phased out or refitted within three years. Transport Canada is requiring the immediate phase-out of the least crash-resistant tank cars - those not equipped with continuous bottom reinforcement.

Transport Canada also issued an Emergency Directive that requires railway companies develop new rules on the transport of dangerous goods and to change operating practices including reducing the speed of trains transporting dangerous goods.

The DOT-111 tank car is considered the workhorse of the North American fleet and makes up about 70 percent of all tankers on the rails.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

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