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GAO-17-567R 1 (2017-05-31)

handle is hein.gao/gaobaakwa0001 and id is 1 raw text is: c AO U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE 441 G St. N.W. Washington, DC 20548 May 31, 2017 The Honorable John Thune Chairman Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation United States Senate 2015 Electronically Controlled Pneumatic Brake Rule: Comparison of DOT Forecasts for Selected Data Points for 2015 and 2016 to Preliminary Data for Those Years Dear Mr. Chairman: In recent years, freight rail shipments of crude oil-a flammable liquid-have increased in the United States. For example, according to the Energy Information Administration, the number of barrels of crude oil hauled by rail within the United States increased from 1.2 million in January 2010 to 11.1 million in January 2017.1 If a train transporting such liquids derails-which can happen due to a number of reasons, including a broken rail, broken train wheels, or train handling-the contents, if released from the tank cars, can catch fire. In May 2015, the Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a final rule requiring, among other things, that freight railroads equip certain trains hauling flammable liquids, such as crude oil and ethanol, with electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes by 2021 and 2023, respectively.2 ECP brakes send an electric brake signal instantly and simultaneously to each individual car in a train, potentially allowing for faster brake application than on trains with conventional air brakes. If a derailment occurs, this faster brake application can reduce the likelihood of cars on the train derailing and releasing their contents. In October 2016, as required by the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act),3 we reported on DOT's ECP brake rule and the analyses DOT conducted in support of that rule, including its analysis of the rule's potential costs and benefits.4 According to DOT, some of the 1While the general trend over this time period has been an increase in crude oil rail shipments, shipments decreased in calendar year 2016. According to the Energy Information Administration, the number of barrels of crude oil shipped by freight rail in the United States fell from 15.6 million barrels in January 2016 to 11.1 million in January 2017. 2Trains transporting crude oil must equip with ECP brakes by January 2021; trains transporting ethanol must equip with ECP brakes by May 2023. 80 Fed. Reg. 26644, 26748 (May 8, 2015) (codified at 49 C.F.R. § 174.310). 3pub. L. No. 114-94, § 7311(a), 129 Stat. 1312, 1601 (2015). 4GAO, Train Braking: DOT's Rulemaking on Electronically Controlled Pneumatic Brakes Could Benefit from Additional Data and Transparency, GAO-1 7-122 (Washington, D.C.: Oct. 12, 2016). GAO-17-567R 2015 ECP Brake Rule Page 1

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