Governor's Summit will convene railroad, agriculture, and industry leaders from across Minnesota

ST. PAUL, MN - On Monday, November 17, Governor Mark Dayton will convene a Rail Summit with railroad, agriculture, and industry leaders from across Minnesota. Elected officials, emergency managers, and key members of the Governor's Cabinet will also participate in the discussion.

The Governor's Rail Summit - which follows a series of railway safety meetings convened by Governor Dayton in communities across Minnesota - will focus on strengthening Minnesota's railway safety measures, easing the backlog of essential commodities on the state's crowded railways, and identifying needed improvements in Minnesota's freight rail infrastructure.

"Minnesota's crowded railways pose a number of very serious challenges to the safety of our citizens, and the continued vitality of our commerce," said Governor Dayton. "From ensuring adequate supplies of coal to utilities we rely upon for heat and electricity, to shipping harvested grain and other agricultural products to markets, the capacity and safety issues on our railways affect all Minnesotans."

A recent analysis showed that railway backlogs cost Minnesota farmers over $100 million between March and May of this year. And recent crude oil explosions on railway routes in North Dakota and Quebec have led to increased concerns about the hundreds of loaded rail cars carrying millions of gallons of crude oil through Minnesota communities.

Recent Actions to Address Railway Safety and Capacity Issues
Governor Dayton and the Minnesota Legislature have taken a series of actions to improve safety and ease the backlog on our overcrowded railways. Additionally, the Governor has been gathering input from industry leaders, emergency managers, local officials, farmers, and citizens for how to further-improve rail service and safety in the upcoming legislative session.

Railway Safety Meetings - Governor Dayton has convened six railway safety meetings in communities across Minnesota. These meetings engaged local officials and emergency managers in discussions about how to make our railways safer given the high volume of flammable cargos traveling through neighborhoods and business districts statewide. The Governor also invited industry leaders, utilities, mining companies, and farm groups to these meetings to discuss how the state's overcrowded railways are impacting their efforts to ship important commodities.

Railway Safety Survey - Governor Dayton has reached out to 300 communities located along railway routes in Minnesota, asking how increased rail traffic and the volatility of oil shipments are impacting local budgets and the quality of life enjoyed by area residents. The community-by-community analysis will assess the local costs and impacts of increased railway traffic. The Governor will use this input to inform the state's ongoing response to the issue, and to develop legislative recommendations for how the state can help local governments address the additional costs, safety concerns, and infrastructure needs caused by a steady increase in railway traffic.

Emergency Response Team - Governor Dayton and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety announced in September that the Moorhead Fire Department will receive $100,000 in state funding to staff and train an Emergency Response Team, and upgrade and expand the city's emergency response equipment. In light of the large amount oil transported through the state, Governor Dayton signed legislation into law this year that provided this funding for an Emergency Response Team in Greater Minnesota.

New State Railway Safety Laws - In May 2014, Governor Dayton signed into law new railway safety legislation. That legislation: 1) increased the number of inspectors monitoring the state's railways and rail cars; 2) required railroad companies to submit disaster prevention plans to the state; 3) required railroads to provide emergency response training every three years to fire departments located along oil train routes; 4) required railroads to file emergency response plans with the state; and 5) required railroads to deploy enough equipment to clean up any spills.

Urging Federal Action - Over the last several months, Governor Dayton has urged federal regulators to take immediate action to /governor/assets/2014_10_13_Elliott.Daniel.Chairman.Surface.Transportation.Board.pdf_tcm1055-93299.pdfease the backlog of rail traffic in Minnesota and to improve the safety standards of rail cars that carry crude oil and other flammable cargo.