Local News
Sen. Baldwin calling for better response to rail accidents
Baldwin, in Washington, asking
for more collaboration
The next disaster might come from anywhere. That’s the message from Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, at a senate committee hearing in Washington on Tuesday.
Baldwin was cautioning for the need to prepare for disasters of which we’re not yet aware.
“One of the things we’ve been taught in recent years is that we must be able to prepare for the unthinkable,” Baldwin said.
Among the areas needing a better plan for response, according to Baldwin, rail accidents leading to spills and explosions in communities like La Crosse.
“I am working to address a similar blind spot by improving the safety and security of trains that transport hazardous materials,” Baldwin said.
Among other things, Baldwin is asking for more federal, local and state collaboration to train for disasters that might come from a hazardous materials spill or a terrorist attack.
“Often more than a mile long,” Baldwin said, “these trains carry volatile crude oil and other materials, past the backyards of my constituents.”