New Safety Regulations For Bakken Shale Oil

Canadian and American regulatory bodies are taking steps to change the way crude oil from the Bakken shale formation in North Dakota is transported by train.

While most crude oil is not very flammable, oil from the Bakken Shale has been involved in two huge explosions during train accidents, one of which claimed 47 lives.

The new safety regulations call for strengthening the train cars in which Bakken crude is moved, and planning new routes for those trains that would minimize exposure to populated areas.