Mayo: Still awaiting word (and more info) on rail shipments of liquefied natural gas

The footage of last week's fiery train derailment and crude oil spill along the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon got me thinking: How's that Florida East Coast Railway request to carry hazardous liquefied natural gas (LNG) through crowded South Florida coming along?

And how much emergency planning with local governments and first responders is required by the rail company as part of the approval process?

A spokeswoman for the Federal Railroad Administration would only say the railway's application is pending. The Broward County Fire Chiefs Association still hasn't been notified of the railway's plans, something that wouldn't happen "until it gets closer to approval," a fire official said.

Federal regulators are reviewing additional information they requested last month, according to Robert Ledoux, Florida East Coast Railway senior vice president and general counsel. Ledoux wouldn't get into specifics about the additional information.