PHMSA is taking a focused approach to increase community awareness and preparedness for response to bulk transportation incidents involving energy products such as crude oil, ethanol, and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Specific efforts are underway to collect lessons learned by the response community from previous ethanol and crude oil accidents, evaluate those incidents against current Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) information, and develop appropriate response outreach and training tools aimed to mitigate the impact of future incidents.
Stakeholder Engagement Meeting for Emergency Response to Bakken Crude Oil:
On February 10, 2014 PHMSA hosted a meeting with emergency response and railroad industry stakeholders, FRA, FMCSA, and Transport Canada to discuss preparedness to respond to incidents involving Bakken crude oil. The topics of discussion included:
- Current state of Bakken crude oil risk awareness;
- Current state of operational readiness/capability;
- Familiarity with bulk shippers emergency response plans/procedures;
- Available training resources (sources, accessibility, gaps in training); and
- Needs of emergency responders/public safety agencies
See summary of comments from attendees (hyperlink to attached PDF).
PHMSA Lessons Learned Report on Crude Oil by Rail Emergency Response
In May 2014, in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Fire Programs, PHMSA hosted a “Lessons Learned” Roundtable forum that consisted of a panel of fire chiefs and emergency management officials from some of the jurisdictions that experienced a crude oil or ethanol rail transportation incident. The purpose of this forum was to share firsthand knowledge about their experiences responding to and managing these significant rail incidents.
PHMSA Lessons Learned Report on Crude Oil by Rail Emergency Response
Commodity Preparedness and Incident Management Reference Sheet
Developed in conjunction with experts from the hazmat emergency response community, railroads and industry, this document provides emergency response organizations with a standard incident management framework based on pre-incident planning and preparedness principles and best practices. The reference sheet covers transportation safety and precautions, hazard assessment and risk, rail safety procedures, logistics, and the tools, equipment and resources necessary to prepare for and respond to crude oil rail transportation incidents.
Commodity Preparedness and Incident Management Reference Sheet
Transportation Rail Incident Preparedness and Response (TRIPR)
The web-accessible Transportation Rail Incident Preparedness and Response Web Resource (TRIPR) provides emergency responders with critical information on best practices related to rail incidents involving hazard class 3 flammable liquids such as crude oil and ethanol. The curriculum consists of nine training modules that focus on key response functions and incorporates three animated, interactive training scenarios and introductory videos to help instructors lead tabletop discussions. These training resources offer a flexible approach to training first responders and emergency services personnel in pre-incident planning and response.
Transportation Rail Incident Preparedness and Response (TRIPR)
