HEIMDAL, NORTH DAKOTA (KFGO-AM) -- Governor Jack Dalrymple was in Heimdal Wednesday, surveying the scene of a train derailment and fire. No one was hurt but residents were evacuated.
Dalrymple says getting oil off the rail lines is about the only way to lessen the threat of train derailments. "The ultimate answer to this challenge is pipelines to carry oil out of the bakken region. They need to go east to Minnesota and south as well, and the sooner we get them built and finished and oil in the pipeline, the better it's going to be" said Dalrymple.
The governor says he's also glad the legislature approved the hiring of two state railroad inspectors. He says they'll work independently of federal rail inspectors and may be able to identify issues and concerns that have been missed in the past.