FRA 02-07
Contact: Steve Kulm or Warren Flatau, Tel.: (202) 493-6024
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Development of New Federal Design Standards for Hazardous Materials Tank Cars
to Benefit from Public-Private Partnership
In a move designed to aid in the development of new federal design standards for
stronger and safer hazardous materials tank cars, the Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) is joining forces with rail and chemical industry leaders
to create the tank car of the future, announced FRA Administrator Joseph H.
Boardman.
“Our goal is to jump beyond incremental design changes,” Boardman said. “We and
our partners are looking to apply the latest research and advanced technology to
provide increased safety for rail shipments posing the greatest safety risk,” he
explained, noting that FRA is considering issuing new, more robust federal
design standards for hazardous materials tank cars and hopes to issue a final
rule in 2008.
Boardman said the FRA has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) with Dow
Chemical Company, Union Pacific Railroad and the Union Tank Car Company to
participate in their Next Generation Rail Tank Car Project. The agreement
provides for extensive information sharing and cooperation between ongoing FRA
and industry research programs to improve the safety of rail shipments of
hazardous commodities such as toxic inhalation hazards and high-risk gases and
liquids.
Boardman stated FRA is focusing on strengthening the structural integrity of the
tank car including the type of material and thickness of the outer shell and the
type and design of the insulation material located between the outer shell and
the inner tank that contains the hazardous material. This is intended to reduce
the probability that a collision, such as a side impact, will result in release
of the hazardous commodity. In addition, FRA is evaluating technology such as
pushback couplers, energy absorbers, and anti-climbing devices designed to
prevent a derailment of the tank car by keeping it upright and on the tracks
after an accident.
The MOC also supports FRA’s National Rail Safety Action Plan and its emphasis on
promising research which has the potential to mitigate the greatest risks. In
addition, the FRA has held two public meetings in cooperation with the U.S.
Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration to receive comment on the design and operation of hazardous
materials tank cars and anticipates holding a third meeting in early 2007.
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