Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, on December 30, 2013, outside of Casselton, ND, a train carrying crude oil derailed setting off a series of explosions and fire. The first on the scene that day were our local first responders from the Casselton Fire Department, a small volunteer department.

Whether floods, tornados, accidents, or man-made incidents, our local first responders are on the front line and we need to make sure they are trained and prepared to handle anything that may come their way and that they have the equipment necessary to do their jobs effectively and efficiently. The incident in Casselton and others across the country have shined a bright light on the need to make sure our local first responders are prepared specifically for emerging threats and hazards.

Only a few short years ago, trains carried very little crude. And when crude was carried by rail, it was in relatively small amounts mixed in with a variety of other commodities and container shipments. Since that time, our country has experienced impressive economic growth in the oil industry, but with that important growth we have seen an exponential increase in shipments of crude by rail. According to the Association of American Railroads, the number of carloads carrying crude oil on major freight railroads in the U.S. grew by more than 6,000 percent between 2008 and 2013. Now, we are seeing entire trains of linked tanker cars carrying more than half a million barrels of crude to market.

As we witnessed in Casselton, had the first responders not had the training they did, this disaster could have been much worse. It's important that our local first responders have access to training to prepare them for these emerging threats and hazards. Traffic continues to increase on our rail system, and we must make sure local first responders in our communities are equipped to respond quickly and appropriately.

To improve first responder training, I am introducing the RESPONSE Act to bring together relevant agencies, emergency responders, technical experts and the private sector under FEMA's National Advisory Council to review the training, resources, best practices and unmet needs on emergency response to railroad hazmat incidents, including crude oil transport. This group would be tasked with reviewing current training, funding, existing emergency response plans and providing recommendations on steps to enhance emergency responder training and improve the allocation of resources to meet the needs.

Our local first responders are on the front lines and will be the first to respond in an emergency. We need to make sure they are equipped with the knowledge and training to protect our communities. I hope my colleagues will join me in this effort.

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