Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has issued an executive order requiring the review of accident prevention and response readiness oil shipments by rail through the state, including along lines in St. Lawrence County where CSX has recently raised speed limits.

Executive Order #125 directs several state agencies to do a “top-to-bottom” review of safety procedures, emergency response protocols, and inspection plans, according to a prepared statement.

The order stems from concerns about shipments of volatile crude oil from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota following out-of-state accidents, including one in Quebec that left 47 people dead.

The state commissioners of Environmental Conservation, Transportation, Health, and Homeland Security and Emergency Services also issued a letter calling on federal authorities to take immediate action to protect the state’s communities and natural resources from potential oil disasters.

The group advocates actions such as the adoption of permanent federal safety regulations on crude oil, the implementation of stronger tank car safety and design standards, and upgraded measures to prevent and respond to crude oil spills on rivers.

The order requires the agencies involved to report to the governor no later than April 30 summarizing the state's existing capacity to prevent and respond to accidents involving the shipment of crude oil by rail, ship, and barge, including the role played by local governments.

The executive order is designed to determine whether any statutory or regulatory changes are needed to increase safety, and how to improve coordination with federal agencies.

“The safety of our communities, our residents and our natural resources must be the highest priority and we cannot afford to wait for a catastrophic accident to assess and reform the way this crude oil is transported through our state,” said Cuomo. “New York State is taking swift and decisive action to ensure its readiness for potential disasters.”

800,000 barrels of Bakken crude oil are transported nationally from North Dakota daily.

Bakken crude oil travels over approximately 1,000 miles of New York railways.

Bakken crude oil is “inherently more volatile than traditional crude,” requiring enhanced protections, according Cuomo.

The state specifically seeks:

• Revised design specifications of certain railcars to minimize the release of crude oil and/or other hazardous materials in the event of an accident;

• Aggressive phase-out of certain tank cars that cannot be retrofitted;

• More stringent standards to test the properties of crude oil being shipped by rail;

• Amendments to federal standards for flammable liquids to include new combustible liquids such as Bakken crude oil; and

• Review of the routing of crude oil trains to ensure they are the most appropriate.

The state is also requesting that the U.S. Coast Guard enact certain safety precautions to ensure that facilities and vessels safely transfer the Bakken crude oil from rail cars to ships and barges.

These protocols would require that equipment, procedures and pre-arranged spill agreements be in place in specific locations, which must be approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.