Schumer wants railroads to notify locals when transporting hazmat

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) this week called on Canadian Pacific, CSX and other freight railroads to provide more information to county emergency management authorities and first responders when trains are transporting hazardous materials through local communities in New York.

Specifically, Schumer urged better state-local coordination and "proactive" and detailed information sharing when trains loaded with hazmat operate through their areas.

The senator's push for better information follows a 2017 incident involving a CP train that hit a Main Street overpass bridge in Buffalo. No one was hurt and the train's cars were empty. Still, trains traveling through upstate New York communities frequently are carrying highly dangerous chemical materials, Schumer said.

"The September 2017 train accident in Buffalo was a warning whistle that we must heed by being better informed and better prepared to deal with rail accidents," said Schumer in a press release. "We got lucky last time, but this incident showed us that we don't know enough about the hazardous materials that are being transported by rail through residential upstate communities on a daily basis."

The senator called on the railroads to expand their notification system to include more examples of "incredibly dangerous materials — and not exclusively crude oil and highly flammable liquids, as is currently the case."

Moreover, he called on railroads to directly notify county authorities — in addition to New York state officials — in order to improve state and local coordination and information-sharing regarding expected movements of hazardous chemical materials.

Joined by local officials, Schumer made his requests during a press conference held in Buffalo this week.

"Rail cars filled with oil and other hazardous materials frequently travel through the city of Buffalo, and 75 percent of our residents live within one mile of an active rail line," said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown. "It's imperative that our local first responders receive information on the types of hazardous rail cargo being shipped through the city of Buffalo so they can be prepared to react in case of an accident."