AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine Gov. Paul LePage is directing the state to examine the safety of the state's rail infrastructure in the wake of the recent oil train derailment in Canada near Maine's border.
The Republican governor issued an executive order earlier this week calling on the Department of Transportation to review federal safety reports on Maine's railways.
An oil-carrying train broke loose early Saturday in Quebec, causing a fiery crash that killed more than 20 people. Dozens remain missing and are presumed dead. The train was heading into Maine and has raised questions about the safety of transporting oil by rail.
LePage is also ordering the department to use any information about the cause of the train derailment in Canada to make any necessary changes to the state's rail infrastructure.