AUGUSTA - Rep. Tavis Hasenfus, D-Readfield, is urging the Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on Transportation to ensure that Maine's railroad infrastructure, and the communities it intersects, are safe and secure.
Hasenfus asked the committee to act after hearing growing concerns in his district following the news coverage of the train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, last month. House District 57, which includes Winthrop and Readfield, and neighboring districts experience regular freight traffic.
"My community and others that have high freight traffic are understandably concerned about what is moving through our towns and what would happen if a train derailed carrying hazardous materials so close to our homes," said Hasenfus. " Since there's currently no way of knowing what materials are passing through our towns on any given day, the least we can do is bring everyone together to learn about the health of our tracks and the contingency plans in place should a disastrous situation occur."
In a letter addressed to the House and Senate chairs of the committee, Hasenfus asked that they hear from representatives from the Maine Department of Transportation, the Maine Emergency Management Agency, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and other relevant parties. Hasenfus hopes the briefing will cover current safety requirements for freight rail, the health of Maine freight tracks, the status of planned rail project upgrades and the agencies policies regarding derailment.
Several hours after Hasenfus' letter was sent to the committee chairs, news broke of a derailment in Wales.
"We're fortunate that nothing catastrophic happened that afternoon like we've seen come out of Ohio," said Hasenfus. "But this underscores the need to bring everyone together, publicly, and discuss where things stand."
Hasenfus, who represents Readfield and Winthrop, is serving his second term in the Maine House. He is a member of the Taxation Committee and the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee.
Contact:
Brian Lee [Hasenfus], c. 305-965-2744