United States Proposes Enhanced Safety Measures for Rail Transportation of Hazardous Materials

The United States has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking aimed at enhancing safety measures for the transportation of hazardous materials by rail. The proposal, put forth by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), seeks to require all railroads to generate, maintain, and provide certain information electronically to first responders, emergency response officials, and law enforcement personnel. The objective is to improve emergency response and investigative efforts in cases involving hazardous materials transported by trains.

This proposal is a response to a safety recommendation from the National Transportation Safety Board and aligns with the statutory mandates in The Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, as amended. It also complements existing regulations that govern the generation, maintenance, and provision of similar information in hard copy format, as well as other hazard communication requirements.

The proposed rules aim to ensure that vital information regarding hazardous materials in rail transportation is readily available to relevant authorities, allowing for more effective emergency response actions and investigative procedures. By requiring the electronic generation and maintenance of this information, the United States seeks to enhance overall safety measures and mitigate potential risks associated with the transportation of hazardous materials by rail.