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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | March 24, 2023 10:04 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Louis C. Schmitt, Jr. |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Resolution Encouraging the Feds to Limit Train Length |
| 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. According to a recent U.S. Government Accountability Report, the way a train is arranged or made up – meaning the mix of loaded and empty cars and locomotives – affect its stability. Those consequences are much more pronounced on longer trains. Other recent studies have outlined the risks of running longer trains and the dangerous outcomes that often follow. As such, I will introduce a resolution urging the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Federal Railroad Administration to strengthen our current freight rail regulations and make comprehensive changes that pay specific attention to the size and length of rail cargo. 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 sponsoring this resolution. |