Federal order won’t impact rail oil shipments

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The main railroad moving crude oil out of the rich Bakken formation in North Dakota and Montana says a new federal emergency order on rail shipments will not affect shipments.

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday required railroads to inform state emergency management officials about the movement of large shipments of crude oil. The agency also asked companies shipping oil from the Bakken region to stop using older generation tank cars that have been involved in a spate of fiery derailments over the past year.

BNSF Railway Co. says it will comply with the new reporting requirements but it also "will continue moving the freight that our customers demand."

North Dakota Petroleum Council President Ron Ness says the industry believes Bakken oil is being unfairly singled out.