To: President Donald Trump
Tell President Obama: Stop oil trains and put firefighters and the public first!
We need to stop oil trains and give local fire departments the resources they need to protect public safety. The federal government can take three immediate first steps:
1. Immediately ban dangerous DOT-111 rail cars carrying highly flammable crude oil.
2. Require that oil companies notify local fire officials whenever trains are carrying volatile crude.
3. Establish a 30 mile per hour speed limit for all oil trains. Safe speeds are easiest way to keep trains on the tracks and prevent accidents.
With oil trains crisscrossing our nation – through our towns and near our homes and schools – it's only a matter of time until the next catastrophic oil train disaster. We can't allow the oil and rail industries to leave our firefighters holding the bag when it comes to oil train safety.
1. Immediately ban dangerous DOT-111 rail cars carrying highly flammable crude oil.
2. Require that oil companies notify local fire officials whenever trains are carrying volatile crude.
3. Establish a 30 mile per hour speed limit for all oil trains. Safe speeds are easiest way to keep trains on the tracks and prevent accidents.
With oil trains crisscrossing our nation – through our towns and near our homes and schools – it's only a matter of time until the next catastrophic oil train disaster. We can't allow the oil and rail industries to leave our firefighters holding the bag when it comes to oil train safety.
Why is this important?
The oil industry is saddling firefighters with the threat of oil train fires and explosions that few, if any, fire departments can contain.
Even after a record year of disasters, the US Department of Transportation has yet to take action to stop these bomb trains. It's time to take the next step and demand that President Obama protect our nation's firefighters and the 25 million Americans who live in the oil train blast zone.
Even after a record year of disasters, the US Department of Transportation has yet to take action to stop these bomb trains. It's time to take the next step and demand that President Obama protect our nation's firefighters and the 25 million Americans who live in the oil train blast zone.