As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, Tim Walz is prudent to conduct hearings in Minnesota's First Congressional District about rail safety.
After meeting with concerned residents in La Crescent in January, the four-term lawmaker joined colleagues in calling for a federal hearing on the issue.
Covering a hearing in Winona today, the LaCrosse Tribune reports in Rail safety meeting focuses on preparedness, prevention:
U.S. Rep. Tim Walz presided over a somber meeting Monday with city leaders, first responders and state agencies from both sides of the Mississippi River talking about growing concerns over rail safety.
. . . La Crosse Fire Chief Gregg Cleveland, with agreement from Winona Fire Chief Curt Bittle, said a perennial challenge for responders is coordinating all of the agencies that can be involved with a hazardous material incident. State regulations can be a big barrier to responding to an incident involving both Minnesota and Wisconsin, he said.
“The lines only exist on the map,” he said. “What really counts is the people.”
The systems should allow for quick agreements between the states and organizations, but doesn’t, he said.
Read the entire Nathan Hansen piece. The conclusion may be the most startling part of the article:
Questions also were brought up on what kinds of data could be used by the industry and lawmakers to make better decisions, as well as what kind of inspection resources exist.
The railroads do their own inspections, Christianson said, but MnDOT also has its own inspector — one person backed up by one or two personnel from the Federal Railroad Administration to inspect 4,000 miles of rail in the state.
Photo: The Casselton, ND oil train explosion.
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