Energy Transport: New data show fast-rising rail shipments from North Dakota's Bakken shale formation and the need for a safer alternative to rail — like the Keystone XL pipeline.In his post-election press conference, the president noted in justifying his continual kicking of the Keystone XL oil drum down the road that "while this debate about Canadian oil has been raging ... we've seen some of the biggest increases in American oil production and natural gas production in our history."
That increase is due in large part to oil recovered from the Bakken shale formation centered on North Dakota. So much oil has been found there that the Energy Information Administration notes a 13.4% jump in rail shipments of oil over last year, a trend likely to continue.
This is both good news and bad news, for increased rail shipments of oil raise the risk of catastrophic train derailments. A State Department analysis released in June found that rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline project would result in 2,947 injuries and 434 deaths as oil companies shipped their oil by means, including rail, that are demonstrably less safe.



















