Pipelines are safer than trains, roads

To the editor:

Recently, a train carrying ethanol fuel derailed north of Dubuque. Thankfully, no one was injured, but this incident makes it clear that America needs a safer way to transport these hazardous substances.

Large shipments of crude oil and other dangerous materials continue to roll through our towns and cities on rail cars everyday.

In my opinion, modern pipelines are a safer option. Americans need crude oil - it's a fact that cannot be denied. Some people argue that pipelines are a liability and that constructing them to move oil must not happen, no matter the cost.

The question I have for these folks is how then should we transport the oil? Moving this crude oil from North Dakota will give our nation the access it desperately needs: access to inexpensive and reliable energy.

Currently, train cars are shipping more and more crude oil which, as we have just witnessed, have the potential to derail and cause serious consequences. We need to support the use of pipelines because they transport the crude oil we need more safely and efficiently than rail or road.

Autumn Reeder

Manchester