Volatile crude and railroad regulation

Volatile hydrocarbons inhibit methanogenic crude oil degradation

Methanogenic degradation of crude oil in subsurface sediments occurs slowly, but without the need for exogenous electron acceptors, is sustained for long periods and has enormous economic and environmental consequences. Here we show that volatile hydrocarbons are inhibitory to methanogenic oil biodegradation by comparing degradation of an artificially weathered crude oil with volatile hydrocarb...

Railroad Transportation

Railroad Safety and Public Policy

This paper discusses the safety challenges faced by railroads in the United States. It discusses and evaluates public policy dealing with trespassing, grade crossing collisions, occupational injuries and operational accidents. The primary conclusion is that the government oversight body, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), should take on the role of teacher and risk analyst rather than t...

Trespassing on the Railroad

Greater than half of all the fatal injuries on United States railroads are sustained by trespassers. The paper provides a statistical analysis of the demographics of trespassers, the activities they were engaged in, and the causes of injury. It also analyzes trends over time. The paper finds that the risks of injury and death are particularly acute for males in their 20s and 30s. The annual cas...

This Time is Different (?): Telecommunications Unbundling and Lessons for Railroad Regulation

Lack of competition in some rail markets has led to calls to force rail carriers to open their networks to competitors at regulated prices. Such rail “unbundling” is intended to reduce rates by facilitating competition when the underlying economics of the network makes facilities entry infeasible. These proposals mirror arguments made in support of telephony network element unbundling under the...