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July 9, 2013

Quebec tanker crash prompts Maine protests

Protesters opposing the transport of oil along the Montreal Maine Atlantic Railway lines rallied Monday, pointing to a train derailment and explosion that killed an estimated 13 people in Quebec as a sign that the railway is not safe to transport oil.

With dozens of people still missing after the train derailment in the tourist town of Lac-Mégantic, 10 miles from the Maine border, WCSH6 reported the protesters on Monday called on the National Safety Transportation Board and the Federal Railroad Administration to inspect the line they said was not designed for the quantity and frequency of oil shipments now crossing the tracks.

State officials told The Associated Press that Maine has no plans to slow the movement of oil-filled tankers across the state or interfere with other matters of interstate commerce.

The AP reported Maine environmental officials are monitoring the train derailment but don’t expect it will affect the state’s air or water quality.

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