The Department of Transportation's (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has issued a safety alert for Bakken crude.

PHMSA issued the alert to reinforce the need to test, characterize, classify, and where appropriate de-gassify the crude oil before transportation.

PHMSA also wants to remind first responders of that light sweet crude is assigned a packing group of I or II. Those packing groups mean the flash point is below 73 degrees Farenheit and the boiling point for packing group I is below 95 degrees Farenheit.

"Operation Classification" will be an ongoing effort, and PHMSA will continue to collect samples and measure the characteristics of Bakken crude as well as oil from other locations.

Read the full releast at phmsa.dot.gov