Federal Railroad Administration

• They’re just one visible part of a web of regulations that aim to keep workers and the environment safe while shipping hazardous waste.
• Transporting hazardous materials such as dangerous gases, poisons, harmful chemicals, corrosives and radioactive material across the country is risky.
• But because approximately 3 billion pounds of hazardous material needs to go from place to place in the U.S. each year, it’s unavoidable.
• With all the material that needs to cross the country, hazardous material spills from both truck and rail transportation are relatively unavoidable.

Who regulates hazardous material?

• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulates the proper handling of hazardous materials where they’re either manufactured or used.
• The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration regulates the transportation of hazardous materials by truck, rail, pipeline and ship.
• In the air, the Federal Aviation Administration regulates hazardous materials.

Key regulations

• Two essential regulations govern the handling and transportation of hazardous materials.
• In 1975, the EPA published the Hazardous Material Transportation Act, which protects people and property from hazardous material transportation risks.
• The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration oversees hazardous materials regulations that apply to everything from packaging and labeling to loading and unloading procedures.

• Trucking companies transporting hazardous materials need to use specific vehicles and qualified drivers to comply with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations.
• The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s and the Federal Railroad Administration’s regulations for rail shipments require that rail cars fit physical and structural specifications.
• Both truck and rail companies must follow regulations that require the proper classification, packaging and labeling of hazardous materials.
• The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s security regulations prevent theft or sabotage of hazardous materials.

Michael F. Gorman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• "NS is proud to partner with our labor leaders and FRA to make another industry-leading advancement in safety," said Alan H. Shaw, Norfolk Southern President and CEO.
• Under the one-year C3RS pilot, covered NS employees can report safety concerns with the certainty that such reports will not result in discipline.
• Participation in this C3RS pilot underscores NS, BLET, and SMART-TD's shared belief that collaboration and transparency are foundational pillars of an effective safety program.
• "We appreciate BLET, NS, and SMART-TD's collaboration on this important partnership, and FRA remains committed to further expanding participation in the C3RS program to advance safety."

• The Governing Board of the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA) has appointed Graham Christie, a Southern California rail leader and seasoned project manager, as Chief Operating Officer (COO).
• View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231214300214/en/
  Rail industry veteran Graham Christie has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority.
• This background and proven success make Graham the ideal choice as COO,” said Michael Leue, ACTA Chief Executive Officer.
• The addition of a COO to ACTA’s leadership structure was the result of an analysis of the Authority’s operation.

• WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced updates to three security directives (SD) regulating passenger and freight railroad carriers in the continued effort to enhance the cybersecurity of surface transportation systems and associated infrastructure.
• It requires TSA-specified passenger and freight railroad carriers to take action to prevent disruption and degradation to their infrastructure with a flexible, performance-based approach, consistent with TSA's requirements for pipeline operators.
• The revised security directives, Enhancing Rail Cybersecurity, and the revised SD series, Enhancing Public Transportation and Passenger Railroad Cybersecurity, include a requirement for covered owners and operators to test a minimum of two objectives in their Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan every year.
• To view TSA's security directives and guidance documents, please visit: TSA Cybersecurity Toolkit or https://www.tsa.gov/sd-and-ea .