“Rail safety and the safe transportation of dangerous goods remain a key priority for Canada’s cities and communities. Since the disaster in Lac-Mégantic in 2013, the federal government has announced a number of new safety measures that respond directly to FCM’s call for urgent and concrete action. Today’s announcement that legacy DOT/TC-111 tank cars will be phased out is another important step towards improving the safe transportation of dangerous goods by rail.
“FCM has worked closely with all levels of government, rail companies and all partners to improve rail safety. Key elements of today’s commitment directly reflect concerns raised by local governments across Canada. The accelerated phase-out of jacketed and non-jacketed DOT-111 legacy cars transporting crude oil will reduce the municipal safety risks of transporting crude oil by rail.
“Safe railway operations are just as important as tank car design for reducing derailment risk. As such, we will continue to look to the Federal Minister and Transport Canada officials to deliver reforms that improve the safety of Canada’s railways. Our efforts will focus on improving grade crossing safety and the proximity of railways to where people live and work. And we will continue to seek permanent information-sharing solutions and ensure front-line municipal workers are prepared in the event of a rail emergency.
“In order to see continued positive results, federal rail policies and regulations must include input from local governments. We will continue to actively engage Transport Canada to improve the safety of rail transport and ensure future safety recommendations from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are implemented with the support of Canada’s municipalities.”
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is the national voice of municipal governments, with nearly 2,000 members representing more than 90 per cent of the Canadian population.