Safety and Spills Prevention

DHS and Plainsville In order to comply with the priorities handed down through Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Grant Programs and state mandates, Plainsville, Colorado, must address the situation of its critical rail line running through its community. The rail line is crucial for industrial use in manufacturing a hazardous material that is not manufactured anywhere else. However, the rail line is two centuries old and in need of repair.

To assess the issues and risks at hand, the city has been tasked with bringing a committee of experts together that can share information on a range of issues, including: the integrity of the rail line, the prevention of a hazardous spill, the safety of the citizens, and the continuity of the neighboring town’s industry. This paper will describe ten organizations that can serve as a pool of expert opinion on these areas.

It will also discuss their individual value to the commission and what expectations the mayor of the city might have as to the expertise, capabilities, resources, or anything else an individual or agency might contribute.

In no particular order, the organizations that would either provide a representative to sit on the commission or that would provide information to the commission are listed in the following categories: · Rail line integrity: · 1) Short Line Safety Institute · 2) American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association · Prevention of Hazardous Spills: · 3) Spill Control Association of America · 4) Occupational Safety and Health Administration · Hazardous Environment: · 5) Environmental Protection Agency · Livestock: · 6) The Humane Society · Agriculture: · 7) American Farm Bureau Federation · 8) National Farmers Union · Industrial Manufacturing: · 9) National Association of Manufacturers · Economic Stability: · 10) American Risk and Insurance Association First is the Short Line Safety Institute.

This Institute could provide information to the commission that would be useful in understanding the risks and safety issues posed by the rail line running through the city. The Short Line Safety Institute recently was awarded a $2.4 million grant by the Federal Railroad Administration to conduct Safety Culture Assessments and to start up new programs for regional railroads (SLSI, 2018). Thus, this organization would be very helpful in assisting the city with its task of assessing its rail line for risks and identifying solutions.

Second is the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association. This Association is well-regarded for championing safety in the railroad industry and offers numerous safety and compliance resources for communities like Plainsville. This Association would be a good one to invite onto the committee to ensure that the line is in compliance with regulatory guidelines. Third is the Spill Control Association of America (SCAA), which can assist in provide information on preventing hazardous spills.

The SCAA (2018) “was organized in 1973 to actively promote the interests of all groups within the spill response community” and its purpose is to provide support for “spill response contractors, manufacturers, distributors, consultants, instructors, government & training institutions and corporations working in the industry.” It would make a great addition to committee just for its extensive knowledge on spills mitigation policies. Fourth is Occupational Safety and Health Administration, better known as OSHA.

OSHA is part of the United States Department of Labor and is extremely committed to helping organizations ensure that safety truly comes first. OSHA would be a tremendous asset to the committee and is always offering outreach, training and free consultations. The city could expect a complete effort from OSHA (2018) representatives, including compliance assistance, on-site consultation, and cooperative programs to help ensure that hazardous materials are safely transported. Fifth is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which could assist in providing guidelines for managing a hazardous environment.

The EPA is another federal agency that was established to help ensure environmental safety for all stakeholders in the U.S. The EPA could bring its extensive experience, knowledge and tools to Plainsville to help provide guidance about what the community could do to safeguard its people, the environment, the land and the industries impacted by the rail line. Sixth is the Humane Society, which would be of considerable assistance in assessing the risks to the area’s livestock population.

The Humane Society (2018) offers information on Disaster Preparedness for Farm Animals and its local chapter could assist the city in developing a disaster response plan to safeguard the area’s livestock. Seventh is the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), which can provide information to help protect the area’s agricultural industry.

The AFBF (2018) is “committed to working through our grassroots organizations to enhance and strengthen the lives of rural Americans and to build strong, prosperous agricultural communities” and would be a great asset in the town’s decision making process. Eighth is the National Farmers Union, which is over a century old and represents the interests of farmers all over the country. This would be a good source to have on the committee to ensure local farmers are represented.

As a valuable stakeholder, they should be at least represented in this discussion. Ninth is the National Association of Manufacturers which would be a helpful source of information in assessing.