President Obama has signed into law P.L. 114-321, to create an interagency group under FEMA to review training, resources, strategies, and information emergency responders have and need to respond to hazardous materials incidents on railroads.
The measure, a reaction to a 2013 accident involving a train carrying crude oil in North Dakota, will bring together relevant federal agencies, industry representatives, emergency responders, and technical experts to produce a report with recommendations for Congress and agencies within a year.
Many of the first responders in smaller communities are volunteers who may lack the specific training to deal with such accidents, sponsors said.
