Dear Neighbor,
I’m sure you’ve seen the recent news about oil train explosions across the region. In the last five weeks alone we’ve seen five oil train derailments resulting in explosions and fires that have taken days to extinguish. A large quantity of oil moves through Minnesota by train, including near the Mississippi River along highway 61. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that more than 200 fuel trains will derail over the next twenty years, including 10 in densely populated urban areas. The derailments are projected to cost more than $18 billion and may end up costing people their lives.
With the large amount of fuel traveling through Saint Paul, we want to do what we can to prevent a train derailment and explosion here. To address this issue, my colleagues and I introduced several bills aimed at improving oil train safety in Minnesota. These bills are aimed at reducing the likelihood of a catastrophic fire, improving public safety in general, and providing tax relief to communities to help them fund rail safety improvements at crossings.
We need to act quickly to ensure that a derailment doesn’t happen in Saint Paul or anywhere Minnesota. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues in the legislature to address this issue. You can read more about the bills and the press conference I was at here.
Please feel free to share your thoughts with my on this issue and other issues important to you. You can reach me at (651) 296-4201 or by responding to this email.
Sincerely,
Sheldon Johnson