Political Quotes

“Woman, I am offering an amendment to make the transportation of crude oil by railroads safer. My amendment would require all tank cars moving flammable liquids to be retrofitted with new safety equipment. This is in addition to the strong safety measures included in the Federal Rail Administration's recent tank car rule. The safety measures would place top-fitting protections on the tank car. These top fittings protect the pressure relief valve, which protects the integrity of a tank car. The valve can slowly release the gases in the unlikely event that the tank car is exposed to pressure buildup in a fire as a result of a derailment. This decreases the likelihood of a major incident and provides first responders additional time. The newer tank cars have this type of protection, but the majority of DOT 111 legacy tank cars do not have this enhanced protection. That is about 50 percent of the expected retrofit tank car fleet, making this reform very important. A similar requirement was considered and rejected during the tank car rulemaking process due to cost-benefit concerns. This proposal is a less costly option that is supported by the Association of American Railroads, the American Chemistry Council, the Railway Supply Institute, the American Petroleum Institute, and the Renewable Fuels Association. I am proud to offer this amendment to improve the safety of moving crude oil by rail. This is an issue that is very important to Pennsylvania.…”