WASHINGTON - Maine's U.S. senators - Republican Susan Collins and independent Angus King - say the U.S. Department of Transportation's new rules for rail transportation of oil are a step in the right direction.
Both Collins and King have pressed for higher safety standards. Sen. King says there's still much more to do.
"I welcome the administration's new rule as a positive step toward enhancing rail safety, and safeguarding communities in Maine and throughout the nation," he says. "But I do intend to stay on this issue until it's fully resolved."
The issue of oil train safety came into the public eye in 2013, when a derailment in Lac Megantic, Quebec, killed nearly 50 people. There have also been several other oil train accidents in the last couple years.
The long-awaited standards would require stronger tank cars to be phased in over the next few years, and mandates the use of new braking technology. But critics are saying that as long as some of the older tank cars are still operating, safety is still threatened.
