Rockefeller Asks GAO to Study Issues Regarding Oil and Gas Transportation

U.S. Senator John Rockefeller (D-WV), Chair of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, recently asked the Government Accountability Office to assess the impact of current shale oil and gas development on the nation’s existing transportation infrastructure, including rail and pipelines.  Rockefeller’s request was reportedly prompted by a recent train derailment incident in Quebec and the Sissonville, WV, pipeline explosion event which occurred in December 2012.  The Committee held a hearing on rail safety in June 2013 and a field hearing on pipeline safety in January 2013.