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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 13, 2014 03:20 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Joseph T. Hackett |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Resolution Urging the Federal Government to Inspect Railways in Pennsylvania |
| In the near future, I will be introduction a resolution urging the National Transportation Safety Board and US Department of Transportation to initiate a comprehensive inspection of the condition of active railroad tracks in Pennsylvania. In recent months, the shipping of crude oil by rail from the Bakken Region of North Dakota to various locations throughout North America has increased substantially. Some of that crude oil is being shipped to Pennsylvania for processing at our refineries. Along with this increased rail traffic has come an increase in incidents involving these trains – including a derailment in Philadelphia, one in the Pittsburgh region that resulted in a spill, and a recent violent derailment and explosion in Virginia. The House Veterans’ Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee held a hearing in March in Delaware County to determine the safety of our rail system and response preparedness. At that hearing, the companies who own the rails (CSX, Norfolk Southern & Conrail) seemed to suggest that they are responsible for inspection of their own rails. However, if no third party is verifying these inspections, then the fox is watching the hen house. It has become abundantly clear that this sharp uptick in rail traffic has exposed deficiencies in the infrastructure. We owe it to the citizens of Pennsylvania, as elected officials, to ensure that they are not unnecessarily placed in danger by defective equipment. If we first ensure that the infrastructure is safe it will go a long way towards preventing any future incidents. Therefore, since the rail systems in this country are overseen by the federal government, I think it is only right that they conduct a thorough review of the rail systems in our state to ensure they are capable of withstanding this increased workload. I hope you will join me in sending a clear message to the federal government that we will not stand by and wait for a catastrophic event to occur in our state. If you have any questions, please contact Kevin Andrews in my office at 610-461-5543. |
Introduced as HR893