N.D. congressman questions energy secretary on rail transport of commodities

U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) questioned U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz on Wednesday about the impact that shipping energy products, such as crude oil, by rail could have on the transport of other commodities, such as farm products.

The conversation between the congressman and the secretary took place during the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Energy and Power hearing on the Quadrennial Energy Review (QER).

“I appreciated the opportunity to discuss the important role rail plays in moving multiple commodities produced in North Dakota to markets across the United States," Cramer said. "I used the hearing to encourage the secretary and his team to keep the QER flexible and current, as major investments in all of our modes of transportation, along with market forces and weather, work together to impact an ever-changing logistics system in our country.”

Also at the hearing, Cramer said Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway had publicly filed weekly grain-backlog status updates that were deemed necessary by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB).

A summary of the reporting data specific to North Dakota for the last 10 weeks, as well as text of Cramer's questions to Moniz and Moniz's answers, can be found online at http://cramer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cramer-questions-secretary-moniz-on-....