Category: Uncategorized
Sen. Franken asks FRA to reroute Minn. oil trains
WASHINGTON – Last week, U.S. Sen. Al Franken asked the Federal Railroad Administration to consider rerouting trains carrying volatile Bakken crude oil from North Dakota so they do not pass through Minnesota’s biggest cities. For Franken, the possibility of rerouting is an int [...]Ga. SLD testifies on EPA Clean Power Plan
ATLANTA – The House Natural Resources Committee voted without opposition Thursday to a resolution urging the federal Environmental Protection Division to make its Clean Power Plan less stringent for Georgia. Business and labor groups warned the plan would result in higher ele [...]BNSF faces penalty on hazmat spill reporting rules
OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington state rail safety regulators March 19 recommended BNSF Railway Company be penalized for failing to timely report multiple hazardous material spills along state railways. The Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) issued the formal complaint [...]
Benefit for SMART Family Member
As an organization, we are known for digging deep into our pockets and reaching out to those less fortunate and in need when a tragedy strikes. Michigan State Legislative Director Jerry L. Gibson and his family have been dealing with a tough issue of their own and Assistant S [...]Member injured, engineer killed in taxi accident
A SMART Transportation Division member was seriously injured and a BLET engineer was killed when a taxi hired by Union Pacific Railroad to transport the men rolled off the side of a freeway near the Interstate 680/Interstate 80 interchange, according to the California Highway [...]UP request to haul liquefied natural gas criticized
Union Pacific Railroad has applied for permission to haul liquefied natural gas, which would add another combustible cargo to a U.S. rail network already being criticized for transporting ethanol and crude oil through populated areas. The Omaha-based railroad said the applica [...]
Republicans Look to Block Pro-Worker NLRB Changes
The House is expected to pass a resolution today on March 19th that would block the National Labor Relations Board from implementing its new rule speeding up the union election process. The legislation, S.J. Res. 8, passed the Senate on a near-party-line vote and President Ba [...]