A house RESOLUTION

TO recognize September 18-24, 2023 as Rail Safety Week, and in the months leading up to Rail Safety Week, encourage state and local governmental entities to work with one another and with the railroad corporations that pass through South Carolina to evaluate current safety plans and identify additional training and equipment needs in order to improve an emergency response, with an emphasis on hazardous materials and carcinogenic materials training.

Whereas, the use of railroads has been relied upon in this country for the transport of goods and of persons since the 1800's; and

Whereas, Rail Safety Week was established in 2017 in order to raise awareness of railroad safety in North America; and

Whereas, South Carolina Operation Lifesaver provides statistics that indicate there were forty-nine crashes and five fatalities resulting from highway-rail crossings in South Carolina in 2021; and

Whereas, the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis provides statistics that indicate there have been a total of seventy Class 1 railroad accidents, excluding Amtrak, in South Carolina from 2019 through November 2022; and

Whereas, out of those seventy railroad accidents, thirty-six were due to trail derailments; and

Whereas, the recent train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, is a startling and sober reminder of the dangers of hazardous materials being transported by railroad corporations throughout this county; and

Whereas, the continuing aftermath of the train derailment in East Palestine highlights the need for cooperation of governmental entities and railroad corporations in order to protect and maintain the safety of the communities in which railroad corporations operate. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize September 18-24, 2023 as Rail Safety Week, and in the months leading up to Rail Safety Week, encourage state and local governmental entities to work with one another and with the railroad corporations that pass through South Carolina to evaluate current safety plans and identify additional training and equipment needs in order to improve an emergency response, with an emphasis on hazardous materials and carcinogenic materials training.

Be it further resolved that Class 1 railroad corporations be strongly encouraged to work with local and state governmental entities to identify additional safety measures in South Carolina and to also assist with providing emergency response equipment to local and state governmental entities so that these emergency responders can provide the best and most efficient response in the event of a railway accident which could expose residents to hazardous or carcinogenic materials.

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