[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 1626]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           RAILROAD OVERSIGHT

  (Mr. KUHL of New York asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KUHL of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to bring attention 
to an issue that concerns all of us, and that is railroad safety.
  On Tuesday night, there was a train derailment near my congressional 
district in East Rochester, Monroe County, New York. Fortunately, no 
one was injured. There have been dozens of other derailments in New 
York: Recently, on December 28 along route 15 in Gang Mills, in which 
cars were carrying butane.
  According to an online Federal Railroad Administration database, 
defective tracks have been the number one cause of train derailments 
since 1996 in New York and Monroe County.
  Madam Speaker, I understand the role of railroads and the importance 
they serve in transporting goods and people across the country. As a 
member of the House Transportation Committee which oversees the 
railroad industry, I firmly believe that Congress must provide more 
thorough oversight of this industry.
  Furthermore, I believe that Congress, CSX, and the Federal Railroad 
Administration and the Department of Environmental Conservation must 
work together to identify what must be done to avoid similar disasters 
in the future.
  Madam Speaker, I look forward to working with my colleagues in 
Congress to create a safer, more efficient rail system for everyone.

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