New requirements could be coming to railroads’ provision of hazardous materials information to responders during hazmat incidents, based on a new rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).
If adopted, the proposal would require railroads to maintain and update rail hazmat shipment information in real-time through accurate, electronic communications to authorized emergency response personnel. They would likewise need to deliver that information to emergency first response personnel as soon as they become aware of incidents involving hazardous materials. In this way, the DOT seeks to improve public safety and reduce the odds of environmental – and personnel – impacts from hazmat situations.
“When railroads transport hazardous materials, they must do so safely and responsibly,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “Our proposal would improve rail safety and help protect communities across the country by requiring railroads to maintain detailed, real-time information about trains carrying hazardous materials.”
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would require all railroads to create both hard copy and electronic versions of this real-time info for shipments containing hazardous materials, including the quantity and position of the shipment on the train. Material origins and destination would also be required, and each railroad would need to establish a designated emergency point of contact. Such changes were spurred by mandates in the FAST Act of 2015, and build on actions already taken to improve freight rail safety, including more than $25 million in funding made available to help train first responders and improve safety programs for railroad companies.
“On-demand access to key information about hazmat shipments coupled with proactive information sharing will enable first responders to better prepare for the risks present at the scene of an incident BEFORE they arrive on scene,” PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown said. “This will improve safety for firefighters and first responders, and the communities they so courageously serve.”
The International Association of Fire Fighters lent its support to the rule change, which has since been transmitted to the Federal Register. An opportunity for public comment will follow.