Last week Rep Herrera Beutler (R,WA) introduced HR 4987, the
Fire Department Proper Response and Equipment Prioritization (FDPREP) Act. The
bill would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to give
priority in administration of firefighter assistance grants to grant requests
related to crude-by-rail or ethanol-by-rail response.
The bill amends 15
USC 2229(c) (Assistance to firefighters grants) by adding a new paragraph
(4) that would require FEMA to “give high priority consideration to grants
providing for planning, training, and equipment to firefighters for crude
oil-by-rail and ethanol-by-rail derailment and incident response”.
Moving Forward
Herrera Beutler is a member of the House Science, Space, and
Technology Committee to which this bill is assigned. She should have adequate
influence to see this bill considered in Committee. There is nothing in the
language of this bill that would engender any significant opposition since no
new funds are being allocated. This bill would probably have enough bipartisan
support to have it considered on the floor of the House under the suspension of
rules process.
Commentary
Herrera Beutler is an interesting case, a Republican
opponent of crude-by-rail. This is an important issue for her constituents. Her
district sits astride the main rail corridor for Bakken crude oil destined for
west coast refineries.
This very simple and direct bill addresses the very real problem
of how local fire departments pay for planning and training for, and the
execution of, emergency response measures for a low-probability, high-consequence
event like an oil-train fire.
This is not a total solution to the problem, as these grants
are relatively limited and there are hundreds of communities potentially
affected by this issue. But it is certainly a step forward in helping these
fire departments.
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