SEATTLE – Environmental regulators from the Northwest deliberated Wednesday about the dramatic changes in the way oil and other energy products are carried through the region.
At a task force meeting of West Coast states, Linda Pilkey-Jarvis of the Washington Department of Ecology described the sudden increase in oil trains coming into the state and traveling along the Columbia River. She said oil-spill response resources have typically focused on tanker traffic off the coast or pipeline routes, so the new transport strategies will require new tactics, new technologies and new personnel around inland water resources.
President Barack Obama has nominated former Kansas Secretary of Transportation Deb Miller to the Surface Transportation Board, reportedly replacing George Bush-appointee Francis Mulvey.
Miller, a Democrat, was the Kansas secretary of transportation from 2003 to 2012, making her the first female and longest serving transportation secretary of that state. She was appointed by former Gov. and current Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and then retained by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.
Miller is currently a senior associate at Cambridge Systematics, a transportation consultancy firm located in Cambridge, Mass. The company’s clients include the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 44 state transportation agencies, Amtrak, CSX, Norfolk Southern and the Long Island Rail Road.
Before being appointed secretary, Miller was the director of planning and development at KDOT from 1986 to 1997 and was previously a planner at HNTB Infrastructure Solutions.
She graduated magna cum laude from Kansas State University in 1976 with a bachelor of arts degree in sociology.
The STB is an economic regulatory agency that Congress charged with resolving railroad rate and service disputes and reviewing proposed railroad mergers.
The board is authorized to have three members, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, each with a five-year term of office.
Four people were injured in a three-train collision about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday near the intersection of U.S. Highway 60 and Farm-to-Market Road 1912 east of Amarillo, the Potter County Sheriff’s Office said.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway spokesman Joe Faust said a stopped train heading east was stopped on the tracks when another train also traveling east rear-ended it. The collision caused about 20 to 30 trailers traveling with the trains to become derailed. Shortly after, a westbound train hit some of the derailed cars from the first accident.
NEW YORK – The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has asked six railroad and transportation experts to examine recent safety-related incidents at three of its operating subsidiaries.
The panel will study the causes of recent derailments at Metro-North, the Long Island Rail Road and New York City Transit, examine maintenance and inspection programs and review safety procedures and the overall safety culture.
HARTFORD, Conn. – An October hearing will be held to address railroad issues including track inspection and maintenance as well as safety standards for both passengers and workers, federal officials investigating two recent Metro-North Railroad accidents in Connecticut announced Tuesday.
Representatives of Metro-North, government officials, labor unions and others will be witnesses Oct. 22-23 and discuss track work, crash standards for railroad passenger cars, protection of on-track work zones and organizational safety.
Company refused to allow employee with disability to return to work after treatment, federal agency charges
ATLANTA – A Norfolk, Va.-based railway company unlawfully discriminated against an employee because of his disability, degenerative disc disorder, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed Sept. 23 in Atlanta.
According to the EEOC’s suit, Norfolk Southern Railway Company violated federal law by not allowing a laborer to return to work after receiving treatment for his disability and being cleared by his treating physician to return to work with no restrictions.
According to the EEOC’s complaint, Norfolk Southern’s medical director disregarded the treating physician’s opinion as to the employee’s ability to work and determined he was medically disqualified from working without ever examining him. Norfolk Southern subsequently terminated the employee.
Disability discrimination violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires employers to not discriminate against employees with disabilities or a record of a disability. In addition, employers who perceive employees as disabled when they are not disabled also violate the ADA. The EEOC filed suit (EEOC v. Norfolk Southern Railway Company, Civil Action No. 1:13-cv-03126) in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The EEOC is seeking reinstatement, back pay and compensatory and punitive damages for the employee, as well as injunctive relief designed to prevent future discrimination.
“An employer cannot terminate an employee because of a disability, or merely because it perceives that person to be disabled,” said Robert Dawkins, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Atlanta District Office. “Here, the employee was ready, willing and able to work, but was fired based on preconceived notions about his abilities. Such conduct violates the ADA.”
Bernice Williams-Kimbrough, district director of the Atlanta office, said, “The EEOC is committed to stopping workplace disability discrimination in Georgia and across the country. Given the size of the employer, this lawsuit could assist in protecting the rights a large number of employees.”
The Atlanta District Office of the EEOC oversees Georgia and parts of South Carolina.
The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws against employment discrimination. Further information is available at www.eeoc.gov.
The Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS) took a significant step forward Sept. 1 by expanding the geographic coverage for Amtrak train and engine workers from 10 Amtrak yard facilities to all Amtrak-owned and dispatched territory throughout the system. The C3RS is a partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Federal Railroad Administration, participating railroad carriers and labor organizations. It is designed to improve railroad safety by collecting and studying reports detailing unsafe conditions and events in the railroad industry. Employees will be able to report safety issues or “close calls” voluntarily and confidentially. Examples of close calls include varying levels of risk, such as leaving pieces of equipment unsecured, improper blocking, operating trains beyond track authority or violating operating rules. Informational rollout sessions have been ongoing in the Northeast Corridor. SMART Transportation Division Vice General Chairpersons Gary Hopson (Amtrak GO 663), Charlie Yura (Amtrak GO 769) and Salvador Ruiz (CSX GO 342) attended the opening event in Washington Aug. 6 and were provided the opportunity to address all in attendance. Present and speaking on behalf of Amtrak were President and CEO Joe Boardman and Vice President of Operations D.J. Stadtler. FRA Acting Associate Administrator Bob Lauby was present as FRA Administrator Joe Szabo was unable to attend. “We are in favor of this reporting system on both sides, labor and management, and it is going to benefit our membership. This marks the beginning of a collaborative initiative that will reduce accidents and injuries in our industry,” Hopson said. “This sort of program is going to be required by the FRA and all Class I railroads will eventually have to have a program that mimics the program we are following.” The expansion will also include any tracks or facilities acquired by Amtrak in the future. Coverage will now be available for incidents that result in damage below the FRA monetary reporting threshold and which do not involve an injury, as long as there is compliance with the other provisions of the implementing memorandum of understanding. Close Call went into effect February 2011. SMART Transportation Division Assistant President John Previsich spearheaded SMART’s involvement in the four C3RS pilot projects – systemwide on Amtrak and New Jersey Transit, at CP’s Portage, Wis., yard and UP’s North Platte, Neb., yard.
National and state labor unions are supporting a coal export project in Washington, calling it a chance for an economic boon to an area in financial distress.
State AFL-CIO leaders testified earlier this week in front of a committee of the King County Council that not only had the state chapter came out in support last year of the Gateway Pacific Terminal in Whatcom County, but also that the national AFL-CIO passed a resolution during its convention earlier this month in support of the project.
SEATTLE – Environmental regulators from the Northwest deliberated Wednesday about the dramatic changes in the way oil and other energy products are carried through the region.
Company refused to allow employee with disability to return to work after treatment, federal agency charges
The Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS) took a significant step forward Sept. 1 by expanding the geographic coverage for Amtrak train and engine workers from 10 Amtrak yard facilities to all Amtrak-owned and dispatched territory throughout the system.