Good news for railway workers, passengers and those living along tracks that carry crude oil. The US Senate recently unanimously passed the Railroad Emergency Services Preparedness, Operational Needs and Safety Evaluation Act, known informally as the RESPONSE Act.

Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota introduced the act shortly after a December 2013 train derailment in Casselton spilled 400,000 gallons of crude. The bill is aimed at establishing a public-private council that combines emergency responders, federal agencies, and leading experts to review training and best practices for first responders. Co-chaired by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), this special council would provide Congress with expert recommendations on how best to address the safety needs of first responders working train and rail accidents. It also provides additional training for first responders, specifically those handling freight train derailments that include hazardous materials such as crude oil.

“First responders—the vast majority of whom are volunteers in North Dakota—selflessly put their lives on the line and run toward danger to protect our families,” Heitkamp said. “That’s exactly what happened in Casselton one December afternoon in 2013, when responders ran toward the black smoke of a train derailment that could be seen for miles—and it’s what our country has continued to see following oil train derailments throughout the country. To make sure they are protected and able to do their jobs to keep our communities strong and safe, it’s absolutely critical for the federal government to show emergency response teams the same support. By unanimously passing my bipartisan legislation creating a public-private council to help Congress address the needs of first responders, the US Senate stood in solidarity with our communities near railroads, and the first responders who keep them safe.”

Companion legislation was introduced in the US House of Representatives in February 2015 by Representative Ron Kind of Wisconsin.

North Dakota is second only to Texas in oil production, but lacks sufficient pipelines to carry away its ever-growing Bakken region output. Thus, more than two-thirds of the state’s crude oil is shipped by rail. Many of the area’s 100-tanker crude oil trains make their way to oil refineries and unloading terminals here on the East Coast and across to the West Coast.

We here at Jacksonville’s Rail Justice applaud efforts to improve rail safety, particularly when it comes to those carrying highly combustible crude oil.