OTTAWA – Transport Minister Lisa Raitt announced new rail safety measures Wednesday. Here’s a list of the new measures and some previous safety precautions ordered since the deadly derailment in Lac Megantic, Que., that killed 47 people in July 2013.
New measures:
— Transport Canada to hire 10 more safety auditors, doubling their numbers, and carry out more frequent rail safety audits. No new government spending is necessary, said Raitt.
— Standardized minimums on how many manual hand brakes must be set on individual rail cars, and a requirement to use additional physical methods to secure trains, such as permanent derails.
— New inspection campaign to verify proper classification of shipments.
— More research on crude oil properties.
— Requiring some railways, including short lines, to provide training plans to Transport Canada for review.
Previously announced:
— Requiring all DOT 111 tank cars used for flammable liquids to be reinforced by May 2017; immediate removal of some 5,000 of the highest risk tank cars from circulation.
— Set minimum of two crew members for trains carrying dangerous goods.
— Imposed speed restrictions on trains carrying dangerous goods.
— Required risk assessments for rail routes.
— Shippers required to have emergency response plans for all trains carrying flammable liquids.
— Created task force of first responders, railways, shippers and municipal leaders to look at emergency response preparations.
— More frequent inspections of petroleum product transfer sites.
