DOT Could Improve Oversight of Information Sharing to Emergency Responders

Homeland Security Today: GAO recently recommended that the Department of Transportation (DOT) develop a process for regularly collecting information from state emergency planning agencies about their distribution of railroad-provided hazardous materials shipping information to local emergency planning entities. DOT concurred with GAO’s recommendations.

GAO found “the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) learned that some states did not provide the information about Bakken crude oil shipments to local emergency planners, as called for in [a May 2014 DOT] Emergency Order requiring notification of state emergency-planning agencies about shipments of crude oil from North Dakota and Montana where the Bakken shale deposit is located.”

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