New rules for railroads to share information about the loads they are shipping through communities were applauded by SUMA president and Weyburn Mayor Debra Button.
New rules for railroads to share information about the loads they are shipping through communities were applauded by SUMA president and Weyburn Mayor Debra Button.
The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) have been working with FCM (Federation of Canadian Municipalities) to develop recommendations to improve rail safety with tighter regulations, improved enforcement and better information sharing.
"Sharing information is an excellent start. There is still a long ways to go if we are going to avoid tragedies like the one in Lac-Megantic. I look forward to working with FCM and the federal government to develop improved regulations for railway operations, such as speed restrictions and tighter requirements for supervising parked locomotives," said Mayor Button.
FCM's president, Claude Dauphin, also welcomed the new rules from the government.
"It sends a clear message that the Government of Canada fully agrees that local governments need to know basic information about dangerous goods being transported through their communities," he said.
In Quebec, a train derailed and caught on fire in the town of Lac-Megantic, killing many people and destroying a large part of the downtown area of the town. There have also been recent derailments in Saskatchewan and Alberta which "have underscored the critical role that municipalities play in planning for and responding to rail emergencies involving dangerous goods," said Dauphin.
Weyburn has not had a derailment on the Soo Line operated by CP Rail through the city, but there have been derailments both north and south of the city in the last couple of decades.
"We also need to consider how these regulations could be better enforced for improved compliance," added Mayor Button.
The government announced additional measures for railways to review the classification of crude oil products shipped by rail, and will require railways to carry additional insurance.
She noted that SUMA will work with other municipal associations across Canada, and with other levels of government, to find ways to continue to address rail safety.
Next week, over 100 mayors and councillors will be in Ottawa to discuss how to expand this type of partnership to other priorities.
