Pa. must release Bakken crude oil train shipment information

• Katie Colaneri
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  Katie Colaneri is a reporter for StateImpact Pennsylvania and WHYY in Philadelphia covering energy and the environment. Before joining StateImpact, Katie worked as an investigative and enterprise reporter at WBGO in Newark, New Jersey. She covered some of New Jersey's biggest stories including the devastation and aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, as well as the day-to-day triumphs and struggles to revitalize state's largest city. A native of New Jersey with roots in South Central Pennsylvania, Katie holds a bachelor's degree from Wellesley College.

The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, or PEMA, must release details about rail shipments of crude oil from the Bakken Shale in North Dakota. That’s the word today from the state Office of Open Records.
In May, federal transportation officials ordered railroads to report to state emergency planners the estimated number of Bakken crude shipments expected to travel through counties each week. Three newspapers, including the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Tribune-Review, requested the reports from PEMA in June.
More from the Associated Press:

Friday’s order came after railroads had argued the information should be kept secret. Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation cited potential security risks and business confidentiality.
But the open records office said the information was neither proprietary nor likely to endanger public safety if released. The railroads were given 30 days to appeal.

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