Share:
House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | March 24, 2023 10:09 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Louis C. Schmitt, Jr. |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Resolution Encouraging the Feds to Require at Least a two-person Crew |
| On February 3, 2023, in East Palestine, Ohio, a Norfolk Southern train derailed and 11 tank cars carrying hazardous materials left the tracks and subsequently ignited. While no injuries or fatalities resulted directly from the derailment, the release of hazardous materials into the air and groundwater in East Palestine and surrounding communities in Pennsylvania should never have occurred. As trains have gotten longer and riskier to operate, railroads have attempted to make crews smaller, leaving some trains with just one crew member. This cost-reduction approach eliminates necessary safety margins and redundancies, off-loading risk onto local communities, with potentially tragic results. Therefore, there is a need for a permanent requirement for railroads to operate with at least two-person crews, ensuring that sufficient, well-trained railroad staff are available for safe operation and response in the aftermath of any derailment. To that end, I plan to introduce a resolution urging the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Federal Railroad Administration to codify into regulation or law something that would require freight railroads to have two-person crews in the locomotive cab at minimum. The safety of our Commonwealth is of utmost importance. It is time for the federal government to act. It is time to better regulate freight rail operations to ensure the health and wellbeing of Pennsylvanians and all Americans. Please join me in supporting this resolution. |