Taking Action on Dangerous Oil Trains
Oil train accidents are increasing an alarming rate in America. And for my home state of Wisconsin, the danger facing my constituents living near rail lines has materialized quickly.
Just a few years ago an oil train in our state was a rare sight. Today, more than 40 oil trains a week pass through Wisconsin. Many of them more than 100 tank cars long.
Wisconsin has some of the highest oil train traffic in the country.
And as more and more volatile crude oil moves through Wisconsin and through our country by rail, it’s critical that we take immediate action to reduce the risk of deadly accidents.
Over the past few months, I have advocated to improve rail safety and railroad conditions in Wisconsin and throughout America. You can see a full list of the actions I’ve taken here.
Take unsafe tank cars off the tracks
Most recently, Senators Cantwell, Feinstein, Murray and I introduced a bill that takes immediate action to phase out the most dangerous tank cars carrying crude oil through our communities.
The Crude-By-Rail Safety Act will set strong new safety standards for trains hauling volatile crude oil and immediately halt the use of older-model tank cars that have been shown to be at high risk for puncturing and catching fire in these terrible derailments.
Improve support for first responders following derailments
Last month, I joined Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota to introduce the Railroad Emergency Services Preparedness, Operational Needs, and Safety Evaluation or RESPONSE Act.
We need to be prepared if a dangerous oil train derails.
The RESPONSE Act will help localities get the resources they need to be prepared and keep their towns safe. The bill will improve emergency preparedness and training for first responders and provide needed support to help emergency personnel better respond to hazardous incidents.
Urging the White House to Take Action
Dangerous oil trains pose a risk to not only Wisconsinites, but to thousands of Americans throughout the upper midwest. The White House has the tools to take on this challenge. That’s why I joined Representative Ron Kind in calling on President Obama to use his resources to make Americans safer.
Oil train accidents are increasing at an alarming rate as a result of the increased oil production from the Bakken formation in North Dakota. Congress has provided additional funding to study safer tank cars, hire more track inspectors, and repair rail infrastructure. We urge your Administration to use this funding, along with its regulatory powers, to improve oil train safety as quickly as possible. — March 9th, 2015 letter to President Obama
Missed Deadlines
With an increase in oil train derailments nationwide, there should be a sense of urgency to confront this issue. However, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) missed a January 15 deadline to release final rules to address oil train accidents.
While I can appreciate the agencies’ thoroughness when drafting in this important rule, every day we wait to finalize this rule is a day in which outdated tank cars carry volatile crude oil through Wisconsin — exposing our citizens and environment to danger.
Every day we wait to finalize this rule is a day in which outdated tank cars carry volatile crude oil through Wisconsin.
I have urged the Administration multiple times to adopt the stringent safety recommendations that I, along with Rep. Ron Kind, called for in our public comment on the rule. It’s critical that appropriate safety measures are in place to reduce the risk of deadly accidents.
As these dangerous oil trains continue to roll through our communities, I promise to keep working with local, state, and federal officials to continue to improve rail safety in Wisconsin and across the country.
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