Federal proposal would require railroads to maintain, provide information on hazardous materials in train consists

WASHINGTON — A new proposal from the federal government would require railroads to maintain updated electronic information on hazardous materials in train consists, and to transmit that information to local first responders as soon as the railroad is aware of an incident.

The Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration announced the proposed rule today (Wednesday, June 21). It would require the hazardous-material information to be updated in real time. The information would include the quantity of the material; its position on the train; the shipment’s point of origin and destination; and a designated emergency contact at the railroad.

“On-demand access to key information about hazmat shipments coupled with proactive information sharing will enable first responders to better prepare for the risks present at the scene of an incident BEFORE they arrive on scene,” PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown said in a press release. “This will improve safety for firefighters and first responders, and the communities they so courageously serve.”

The full rule has yet to be published in the Federal Register, but according to a pre-publication version, it will require train crews to be provided with a printed copy of the information, which will be “maintained in a conspicuous location of an occupied locomotive.” In case of an incident, railroads will be required to provide the electronic version of the information to first responders within a 10-mile radius.

A report on the website The Hill notes that while large railroads already have an app for firefighters to look up cargo information, smaller railroads do not. This rule will apply to all railroads.

Once the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register, a 60-day period for public comment will begin.