Rules for oil tank cars

Chicago Tribune (May 14) -- The federal government on May 1 unveiled new regulations aimed at making tank cars stronger to survive fiery derailments, but critics say the new rules don't provide adequate protection against fire and heat, factors that cause cars to explode. Christopher Barkan, a railroad engineering professor at Illinois, said the new tank car design standards will make a "huge difference" in terms of impact resistance during derailments, but was disappointed the the 3-5 year phase-in period. "In 2015, we would like to have a tank car that doesn't fail after 100 minutes or, better still, never fails at all."