BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 578|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 578
Author: Escutia (D)
Amended: 5/4/05
Vote: 21
SENATE ENERGY, UTIL. & COMMUNICATIONS COMM. : 8-0, 4/5/05
AYES: Escutia, Alarcon, Bowen, Campbell, Dunn, Kehoe,
Murray, Simitian
NO VOTE RECORDED: Morrow, Battin, Cox
SENATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COMMITTEE : 7-1, 4/25/05
AYES: Lowenthal, Runner, Campbell, Chesbro, Escutia,
Kuehl, Simitian
NOES: Cox
NO VOTE RECORDED: Figueroa
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Railroads: safety
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires railroad corporations to
include specified information relating to hazardous
materials and in certain events, of train and track
locations, whether or not an accident or spill occurs, when
notifying the Office of Emergency Services about train
incidents.
ANALYSIS : Existing law requires railroads to annually
CONTINUED
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submit to the Office of Emergency Services (OES) emergency
handling guidelines for the transportation of hazardous
materials.
Existing law requires railroads, if there is a train
incident resulting in a release of hazardous material, or
an overturned car or an impact that threatens a release of
hazardous material, to provide the emergency response
agency with (1) a list of each car in the train and the
order of the cars, (2) the contents of each car, (3)
identification of the cars and contents in the train
involved in the incident, and (4) emergency handling
procedures for the hazardous material involved.
Existing law requires railroads to promptly notify OES if
there is a runaway train or any other uncontrolled train
movement that threatens public health and safety.
This bill provides that the required OES notification is to
include the following information, whether or not an
accident or spill occurs:
1. The same information that would be required if there
were a train incident that released hazardous materials.
2. In the event of a runaway train, a train list.
3. In the event of an uncontrolled train movement or
uncontrolled movement of railcars, a track list or other
inventory document if available.
This bill requires the California Public Utilities
Commission's (CPUC) consumer protection and safety division
to investigate any runaway train or uncontrolled train
movement that involves any railcar containing hazardous
material and to report its findings to the CPUC, and for
the CPUC to include the information in its annual report to
the Legislature.
Comments
On June 20, 2003, 31 cars of a Union Pacific freight train
escaped from a rail yard in Montclair, rolling uncontrolled
through Pomona and reaching speeds of up to 86 mph.
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Twenty-five minutes after breaking free, and 28 miles down
the tracks, the cars were intentionally derailed in the
City of Commerce destroying two homes, damaging several
more, but causing no loss of life. This accident was the
catalyst for a state law requiring railroads to notify OES
of any uncontrolled train movement that threatens public
health and safety.
Federal regulations require railcars carrying specified
hazardous materials to carry external warning placards.
These placards, required on both ends of the railcar,
identify the class of hazard (e.g. explosives, toxic
materials, radioactive). The federal Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) is concerned that the placards will
help terrorists find targets. DHS has therefore proposed
eliminating the placard requirement, making it much more
difficult for terrorists to identify targets but also
making it harder for public safety agencies to identify and
properly respond to hazardous material spills.
This has been a bad year for train accidents. In January
2005, a train accident in South Carolina resulted in a
chlorine gas spill. That accident killed nine, injured
hundreds and led to the evacuation of 5,400 people. Also
in January, a train accident in Glendale killed 11 and
hospitalized over 200 people.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/25/05)
California Public Utilities Commission
California Teamsters Public Affairs Council
NC:mel 5/25/05 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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