Proposed Legislation Enhances Freight Rail Safety From Hazardous Chemicals
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There's a move in Congress to tighten up the laws covering freight trains carrying hazardous chemicals.
The idea is to avoid a repeat of the chaos that followed a 2012 derailment that led to the evacuation of part of Paulsboro for several days.
This is the first bill proposed by Donald Norcross, who took over for Rob Andrews in Congress last November.
"Certainly rail traffic across this country has increased, particularly with regards to oil shipments." said Norcross. "But that doesn't mean we haven't learned lessons from those other incidents."
It was the spill of toxic vinyl chloride at Paulsboro that prompted moving 1,500 people out and the confusion that followed is what the TRACK Act seeks to address.
First responders would be better trained to deal with a spill. The measure will provide for higher civil penalties when safety standards are violated, strengthen safety protocols and risk assessments and improve education for first responders on how to handle toxic chemicals.