A U.S. oil industry group has launched a legal challenge to federal rules aimed at tightening safety standards in oil-by-train transport, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. The American Petroleum Institute on Monday petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to block important provisions of the rules presented earlier this month by Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, the newspaper said. The United States and Canada announced on May 1 long-awaited safety rules for trains carrying oil, as regulators seek to reduce risks after a series of explosive accidents that accompanied a surge in crude-by-rail shipments. The rules call for a rapid phase-out of older tank cars considered unsafe during derailments, and are more aggressive than even some of the toughest proposals yet put forward. The petition filed on Monday seeks to bar a rule requiring older tank cars to be fitted with new safety […]