U.S. House to discuss freight rail safety concerns
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Members of the U.S. House will discuss rail safety issues related to hauling crude oil and hazardous materials Wednesday.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Walz called the hearing in the House Transportation Committee after La Crescent residents expressed concern about the freight rail route through their town.
He held a roundtable discussion about rail safety Monday in Winona.
From the Winona Daily News:
Walz told the group he was looking for barriers Congress could help tear down and questions to take back to the subcommittee to help keep conditions safe along the rails.
La Crosse Fire Chief Gregg Cleveland, with agreement from Winona Fire Chief Curt Bittle, said a perennial challenge for responders is coordinating and working with all the agencies that can get involved with a hazardous material incident. State regulations can be a big barrier to responding when an incident involves both Minnesota and Wisconsin, he said.
"The lines only exist on the map," he said. "What really counts is the people."
Walz joins The Daily Circuit to discuss Wednesday's hearing.
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