Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chair, my amendment seeks to transfer $3 million from the Office of the Secretary of Transportation salaries and expense account to the Federal Railroad Administration to fund the use of a second car to support the inspection of crude oil routes covering more than 14,000 miles of track nationwide. This funding would also be available to expedite implementation of a remote automated track inspection capability to increase inspection mileage while reducing costs.

For more than 30 years, the Federal Railroad Administration's Automated Track Inspection Program has provided accurate track geometry data, as well as other track-related performance data, to assess compliance with the Federal track safety standards. Currently, FRA is operating only one ATIP car for inspections. My amendment would enable the FRA to add an additional car to support safety inspections.

Mr. Chairman, I realize you're in the unenviable position of allocating the difficult funding level given to you. I would like to be clear that I think you and your cohorts have done a tremendous job in crafting a bill which truly does more with less. My amendment seeks to match what is included in the Senate FY15 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill for the Automated Track Inspection Program.

According to data from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, more than 1.15 million gallons of crude oil were spilled from railcars in 2013. Last year's total spills of 1.15 million gallons means that 99.99 percent of shipments arrived without incident. But recent derailments in my home State of Pennsylvania, including one in Westmoreland County and one in my district of Philadelphia, have made us all keenly aware of the dangers that train derailments can pose to a community. Just yesterday, a train carrying crude oil derailed on a bridge outside Pittsburgh. At this moment, it is dangling off the track and over the water.

Derailments are fairly uncommon. The sober truth is that people's lives are at risk, and we must do everything in our power to ensure we continue to transport this crude in the safest manner possible. Track data collected by ATIP is used by FRA, railroad inspectors, and Federal railroads to assist in assured track safety.

Oil has been moving by rail through populous areas for decades, and industry is responding by improving safety measures. It is time the Federal Government do its part and increase our investment in the safety inspections of our rail lines.

Mr. Chairman, this program produces results. It is not just people on one side of the aisle that recognize this, but Congress as a whole does. Why not take a modest increase in the funding of the FRA to double their capability in performing safety evaluations?

This amendment would make our rail lines safer while reducing costs. I urge its adoption, and I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source