BLET News
Some of America’s oil refineries may be on the brink of shutting
(Source: Bloomberg, April 9, 2020) NEW YORK — The next step for some U.S. refineries that have already cut way back may be a full stop. Marathon Petroleum Corp. plans to idle its Gallup, New Mexico, refinery next week, according to a person familiar with the matter. It’s the first U.S. facility to shut as…
Read MoreCoronavirus takes aim at North American rail traffic
(Source: Freight Waves, April 9, 2020) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — North American rail traffic continues to tumble, pressured by significant drops in consumer activity as the COVID-19 pandemic takes hold globally. North American rail volume for the week ending last Saturday slipped 16.1% to 596,710 carloads and intermodal units, compared with the same period in 2019,…
Read MoreSMART-TD member passes from coronavirus
(Source: SMART Transportation Division press release, April 8, 2020) CLEVELAND, Ohio — Joseph Hansen, a conductor out of Local 60 (Newark, N.J.) who worked for New Jersey Transit (NJT), passed away recently to become the first reported active SMART Transportation Division member to succumb to COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. Hansen was 62 years old and had…
Read MoreRailroads will deliver in war on coronavirus
(Source: www.newsmax.com, April 6, 2020) NEW YORK — Lost among the well-deserved praise for workers on the front lines of healthcare and emergency response is the critical role the logistics sector is playing in curing and comforting our nation. One particularly important set of hidden heroes in the fight against COVID-19 are the 150,000 Americans…
Read MoreStoring crude oil in rail tank cars requires an understanding of federal hazmat regulations
(Source: JD Supra, April 7, 2020) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States is awash in oil. The Coronavirus Pandemic has collapsed global demand and at the same time, increased oil production by Saudi Arabia and Russia has caused oil supply to surge. Facing a potential need for storage, Bloomberg is reporting that oil companies are…
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