Residents of the tiny town of Heimdal, North Dakota and people on surrounding farms were evacuated yesterday after a BNSF train carrying crude oil derailed, causing ten cars to become engulfed in flames.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) said it will be carefully examining new regulations Canada for the shipment of flammable liquids by rail, but it is already critical of one of the provisions -- a requirement for electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brakes.

Both safety advocates and the railroad industry are expressing disappointment with new rules announced Friday by the U.S. Department of Transportation that are intended  improve the safety of rail tank cars carrying crude oil and other flammable liquids.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has released the details of a comprehensive rulemaking proposal to improve the safe transportation of large quantities of flammable materials by rail - particularly crude oil and ethanol - in the form of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and a companion Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM).