(Washington, DC) – Currently, Home Science, Space, and Technologies Committee Members sent a letter to the Division of Transportation (DOT) requesting facts about the study, improvement, and technologies (RD&ampT) efforts becoming produced to increase the transportation of hazardous material by rail in the aftermath of the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment.

The letter was signed by Science Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK), Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Jay Obernolte (R-CA), Analysis and Technologies Subcommittee Chairman Mike Collins (R-GA), and Analysis and Technologies Subcommittee Ranking Member Haley Stevens (D-MI).

“It is the shared target of this Committee and DOT to make sure the protected, effective, and dependable movement of individuals and goods by rail. DOT’s different study applications are meant to contribute to the strategic ambitions of fantastic repair and financial competitiveness via revolutionary technologies and security-focused projects,” the Members wrote. “While competitiveness is crucial, it can’t come at the expense of Americans’ security. When incidents like the 1 in East Palestine take place, it demands cautious consideration of how existing practices, procedures, and efforts are enhancing powerful operability of our transportation systems.”

The letter also requests facts into the implementation of funding from current appropriations for continued RD&ampT activities, DOT’s Sophisticated Analysis Projects Agency-Infrastructure (ARPA-I), and the Transportation Technologies Center (TTC) in Pueblo, Colorado. “The Committee seeks to make sure that ARPA-I is definitely investing in sensible options,” the Members wrote. “We want to make sure that the tax dollars of the American individuals are funding strong efforts that will offer actual final results and mitigate accidents like the current derailment.” Moreover, “[t]he Committee is interested in the RD&ampT perform becoming performed at TTC, especially as it relates to tank car or truck improvement, way-side detection study, and implementation of automated track inspection technologies.”

To make sure that DOT is prioritizing important federal study dollars by investing in RD&ampT into protected and powerful transportation technologies, the Committee requests a briefing and written responses to the letter’s posed inquiries by June 20, 2023.

Study the complete letter right here.