The Biden administration has recently suspended a Trump administration regulation permitting the rail transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG), a move that some are hailing as a win for environmental advocates.
On Friday, just before the long weekend, the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) quietly put a halt to the 2020 provision for transporting LNG in rail tank cars. This suspension will last until either a finalized rule for LNG rail transportation is established, which could be several months in the making, or up to June 30, 2025.
Patrick Grenter, director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign, commented, “We are encouraged by the decision to suspend the dangerous practice of transporting highly flammable LNG by rail through communities.”
He added that accidents from such transportation could be catastrophic, particularly for communities adjacent to the railway tracks, and called on the PHMSA to ban LNG by rail permanently.
Environmental organizations, including Earthjustice, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Food & Water Watch, alongside the Sierra Club, have cautioned about the potential wide-scale destruction that could result from LNG transport, given its highly combustible nature.
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., and other Democratic representatives penned a letter earlier this year to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, seeking a permanent ban on LNG rail transportation. They underscored the environmental safety concerns.
According to the PHMSA, this rule suspension seeks to protect public health and the environment from potential risks, notably “direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions.” It also aims to allow time for continued research and testing on LNG rail transportation.
However, it’s noteworthy that the 2020 rule green-lit by the Trump administration had safeguards installed to circumvent severe accidents, as mentioned by Former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. After its implementation, the rule faced legal challenges from environmental factions and Democrat-led states.
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On the other side, the 2020 regulation garnered support from Republican leaders, states, and the rail industry, all of whom emphasized their commitment to ensuring safe freight rail transportation.
Railway Supply Institute President Patty Long expressed her dissatisfaction with the suspension, saying, “Transporting LNG has a proven safety record, and with our country continuing to face rising energy prices, we should be incentivizing critical infrastructure that can provide additional capacity to the U.S.” Long has consistently argued for the safe transportation of LNG by the industry.
Daniel Schmitt, senior counsel for CSX, a significant freight company, cautioned about the cost implications and inadvertent safety and environmental risks that the suspension might bring.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, criticized the move as another instance of the Biden administration’s policies against American energy, saying, “Today, the Biden administration has fired another salvo in its war on American energy by essentially prohibiting the movement of LNG by rail.”
“America is a leader in reducing carbon emissions largely because the of the United States’ development and use of natural gas. The energy renaissance we are seeing in this country is producing enormous environmental benefits,” he continued.
“LNG by rail would give Americans — particularly those who have limited energy choices because of geography — an affordable and environmentally-responsible option to meet their energy needs,” Cruz added. “By removing this option, the radical environmentalists in the Biden administration have delivered a further setback to American prosperity and national security.”
“This is yet another example of why the Biden administration cannot be trusted to implement pro-domestic energy policies.”
