Political Quotes

“Mr. President, today Senator Murray and I are introducing legislation to enhance the safety practices and safety culture of short line railroads. The horrific derailment that occurred in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, last year, just 30 miles from the Maine border, brought to light the importance of ensuring the safe transportation of energy products. Specifically, our bill would authorize the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to a new Short Line Safety Institute for research, development, evaluation, and training efforts. In the early morning hours of July 6, 2013, a freight train carrying hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil was sent hurtling toward the small, picturesque Canadian village of Lac-Megantic. The train derailed in the center of town, leveling several blocks, and killing 47 residents. Since the accident, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Department of Transportation have been working with American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association to develop new safety guidelines to prevent future disasters. While this tragedy hit very close to home for us Mainers, there have been several other derailments of crude oil and other hazardous material recently across the country. Despite these incidents, the railroad industry maintains it has a strong safety record. According to the Association of American Railroads, 99.997 percent of rail hazmat shipments reached their destination without a release of product.…”