- A 25-state coalition of AGs, led by Louisiana AG Jeff Landry, has written a letter to Tristan Brown, Acting Administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, voicing opposition to a proposed rule that would suspend authorization for the transportation of liquefied natural gas by rail. The proposed rule would reverse an earlier rule, which became final in 2020, permitting the transportation of LNG by rail cars specifically designed to transport LNG.
- The letter argues that the proposed rule is based on flawed analysis inconsistent with the agency’s prior position and would negatively impact the U.S. and its citizens by increasing costs at the gas pump and shifting reliance to imported natural gas—including from Russia—rather than domestic products. The letter also contends that transporting LNG by rail may have positive effects on the environment.
- The letter further argues that the PHMSA’s purpose in enacting the rule, e. to indirectly regulate natural gas extraction, exceeds its regulatory purpose of regulating the safe transportation of hazardous materials.