The Bellingham Herald | July 22, 2015 | Column by Curtis Tate

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Transportation warned railroads that they must continue to notify states of large crude oil shipments after several states reported not getting updated information for as long as a year.

McClatchy DC (via The Benicia Independent) | June 25, 2015 | Column by Curtis Tate

WASHINGTON — Railroads may have found a new weapon in their fight to keep information about oil train shipments from the public: a federal rule that was supposed to increase transparency.

McClatchyDC | May 12, 2015 | Column by Curtis Tate

The oil industry went to court Monday over the Obama administration’s new oil train safety rules, challenging the timeline for refitting tens of thousands of tank cars and the requirement for enhanced braking systems on the cars.

McClatchyDC (via The Benicia Independent) | May 11, 2015 | Column by Curtis Tate

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers and environmental and industry groups criticized the federal government’s new safety measures for oil trains when they were announced earlier this month. Now another group has expressed disappointment in the new rules:

McClatchyDC | May 10, 2015 | Column by Curtis Tate

Part of the federal government’s justification for keeping details about oil trains secret is literally hiding in the weeds on the South Dakota prairie.

McClatchyDC | April 16, 2015 | Column by Curtis Tate

WASHINGTON — Outlet valves underneath four tank cars in a February oil train derailment in West Virginia were sheared off and the 50,000 gallons of crude oil they released ignited in a fire that subsequently caused several nearby rail cars to explode, according to a federal report.