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Hazardous Materials: Rail Petitions and Recommendations to Improve the Safety of Railroad Tank Car Transportation

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U.S. Chamber of Commerce filings
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U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed 1 comment on this docket between Oct 15, 2014 and Oct 15, 2014. 154 other organizations filed here. The comment window closed 3910d ago.

What U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed (1)

Oct 15, 2014· U.S. Chamber of Commerce - Comments1· PHMSA-2012-0082-1980

September 30, 2014 Docket Management Facility U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE West Building, Ground Floor, Room W-12-140 Washington, DC 20590-0001 RE: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Hazardous Materials: Enhanced Tank Car Standards and Operational Controls for High-Hazard Flammable Trains (Docket No. PHMSA-2012-0082 (HM-251)) On behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the worlds largest business federation representing the interests of more than three million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations, I am writing to express concern about the potential negative impact on North American freight rail network operations and the overall efficiency and reliability of the nations freight transportation system if the final rule on Hazardous Materials: Enhanced Tank Car Standards and Operational Controls for High-Hazard Flammable Trains imposes new speed restrictions on railroads beyond those already in practice. The Chamber greatly appreciates the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) efforts to improve rail safety. Today, the North American freight railroads follow a speed limit of 40 miles per hour in High Threat Urban Areas (HTUAs, as designated by the Department of Homeland Security) when a train has at least one loaded legacy DOT 111 tank car of crude oil, and 50 miles per hour throughout the entire rail network when a train has 20 or more carloads of flammable liquids. The railroads voluntarily took adopted these practices after Secretary Foxx asked the industry to take additional steps to reduce risk. The Chamber is concerned with an element of the proposed rule that would expand both the products and the geographic scope covered by the 40 mph speed restrictions. The freight rail network in the United States is strained with rail demand at a seven-year high and traffic soaring. Broad speed restrictions across all urban areas of 100,000 people or applied across the entire network could affect the fluidity of the network and have a significant economic impact on the rail industry and on levels of service to customers across multiple industries and throughout the continent. Transportation infrastructure capacity is more vital than ever to the success of U.S. industries. In order to keep pace with transformations of the national and global economies, the U.S. transportation system needs to expand, modernize and adapt to the changing and growing needs for freight movement and passenger mobility. One of the important economic transformations is expanding domestic energy production, which will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and natural gas and significantly reduce the billions of dollars we send abroad each year. As our reliance on oil and natural gas will necessarily continue for the foreseeable future, we can no longer rule out the value of our own significant proven oil and gas reserves nor the value of a future significant discovery anywhere in or off the shores of the United States. Doing so will create new investment and new jobs here at home. As energy production expands, so does the need for both a safe and a highly efficient transportation network. It is in the best interest of the United States to have a well-designed, interconnected transportation network with adequate capacity, efficient use of existing transportation infrastructure, and policies and technologies that will maximize freight mobility, ease congestion and improve safety. The Chamber asks PHMSA to consider the potential negative network effects and economic impacts of reduced speeds over an expanded geographic scope as it formulates the final rule on hazardous materials tank car standards and operational controls. Sincerely, Janet F. Kavinoky Executive Director, Transportation and Infrastructure U.S. Chamber of Commerce

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Abstract

Hazardous Materials Railroad Tank Cars

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