Rail Safety Act deserves congressional approval

It is clear it could happen here. But repeatedly we have been told we are not ready to handle a major train derailment in La Crosse, particularly if a train carrying volatile materials were to go off the tracks in the La Crosse river marsh. In just the past two months, we have seen trains leave the track in Alma, spilling nearly 20,000 gallons of ethanol, and more recently in Brownsville. The whole issue of rail safety has risen to the forefront in our area, with groups calling for more safety measures to be put in place. La Crosse Congressman Ron Kind has taken the lead on this issue, introducing what is called the Rail Safety Act in Congress. This legislation would require FEMA to put in place emergency response equipment in strategic places along heavily used rail lines. Things like firefighting equipment and fire supression agents like foam that could be used in the event of a fire. And Kind’s plan would not burden taxpayers. The legislation directs FEMA to purchase the necessary equipment using fees collected from the rail companies. This plan makes sense. It increases our preparedness, while not costing taxpayers. Because the question is when, not if there will be another derailment, and whether we want to be properly prepared to respond.