Congressman Krishnamoorthi Calls On NTSB And Federal Railroad Administration To Address Chicago Rail Safety Risks In Wake Of Disastrous North Dakota Derailment Of Hazardous Cargo

SCHAUMBURG, IL - Last week, in the wake of a disastrous derailment of 29 cars of the Canadian Pacific and the Kansas City Southern Railroads (CPKCS) and resulting fires from their hazardous cargo, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) wrote to the heads of the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Administration to address the safety of those who live in the areas surrounding rail lines affected by the merger that recently created CPKCS and the increased rail traffic it brought. Citing last week's derailment and similar disasters in Ohio, Minnesota and West Virginia, the Congressman wrote:

"These repeated rail accidents pose grave threats to our environment, the safety of the surrounding communities, and to the integrity of our nation's rail infrastructure. This development is especially troubling for the constituents in my district who have been subjected to the increased frequency of freight traffic, including of hazardous materials, in densely-populated areas as a result of the CPKCS merger."

In light of these concerns, Congressman Krishnamoorthi requested additional information from the agencies on their safety policies by July 25^th:

1. What safeguards are being put in place as a result of this most recent derailment that will prevent it from happening again elsewhere, particularly in densely-populated areas like Elgin, Hanover Park, Roselle, Schaumburg, and others?
2. What regulations, procedures, and additional oversight is the NTSB considering as a mitigation measure to decrease the likelihood of these derailments continuing?
3. What are the current procedures for notifying local municipalities of hazardous materials that will be traveling through their area?
4. What, if any, authorities exist to compel CPKCS or other Class I railroads to provide compensatory funds that will aid in bolstering already over-stressed emergency response and disaster relief resources in the event of a future derailment?
5. What, if any, mechanisms do the NTSB and FRA have to reduce the number of trains carrying hazardous materials that flow through densely-populated municipalities?

The full letter is available here.

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