U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today announced that her bipartisan legislation to support first responders by making sure they have the resources and tools they need to handle hazardous incidents, including crude oil train derailments, unanimously passed in the U.S. House of Representatives -- bringing her legislation one step closer to being signed into law.
Since late 2013 when a train carrying crude oil derailed in Casselton, which was followed by several other derailments nationwide, Heitkamp has been working to equip emergency response teams with the necessary tools and resources to prepare for hazmat incidents on the rails and keep communities strong and safe. The passage of today's legislation in the House includes minor changes from the version that passed unanimously in the U.S. Senate in May, and will be sent back to the U.S. Senate for final approval before reaching the president's desk.
"When disaster strikes, North Dakotans depend on their communities to pull together to subdue the flames -- and as a statewide family, we know our first responders need our protection just as much as we need theirs," said Heitkamp. "That's why in the wake of the crude oil train derailment in Casselton in 2013, I introduced my RESPONSE Act to pull together public and private expertise to help make sure Congress is supporting those who answer the call in such emergencies. Today, we're bringing this bill one step closer to becoming law -- and first responders one step closer to the resources they need to keep our communities strong and safe so they can return home to their families each night."
U.S. Representative Ron Kind (D-WI) worked with Heitkamp to introduce companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015.
"With the passage of the RESPONSE Act we are making our Wisconsin communities safer by providing more training for our first responders and holding big railroad companies accountable for their actions," said Rep. Kind. "Our residents have dealt with the negative impacts of rail traffic long enough and today we took action to solve the problem and keep our neighborhoods safe."
Heitkamp's Railroad Emergency Services Preparedness, Operational Needs, and Safety Evaluation (RESPONSE) Act would enable first responders to get quality training to handle hazardous situations and have access to the appropriate resources and effective communications. Specifically, her bill would establish a public-private council that combines emergency responders, federal agencies, and leading experts to review training and best practices for first responders. This council, co-chaired by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), would provide Congress with expert recommendations on how to address first responders' safety needs with increased railway safety challenges so they can best protect communities across the country.
Joining in support for Heitkamp's RESPONSE Act as cosponsors are U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Joni Ernst (R-IA).
Despite the current downturn in oil production, almost 30 percent of North Dakota crude oil is still transported by rail and will likely continue to into the future. On major freight railroads across the country, the number of railcars carrying crude oil grew by more than 4,000 percent between 2008 and 2013, with additional increases in 2014.
In addition to her RESPONSE Act, after Heitkamp has worked to improve first responder safety by helping secure $5 million in federal funding to support a one-of-a-kind federal training facility in Pueblo, Colorado that prepares first responders to handle hazmat incidents on the rails, such as crude oil train derailments. Nearly 90 North Dakota first responders participated in training at the Pueblo facility in 2014 and 2015. She has also worked closely with federal, state, and local officials, including bringing U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx to North Dakota and holding a U.S. Senate hearing on first responder safety.