Audit finds Montana railroad safety lacking
Matt Volz | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 years, 1 month AGO
HELENA — An audit finds that Montana’s railroad safety falls short at a time of high oil train traffic that is only expected to increase.
The Legislative Audit Division review released Wednesday concludes the Public Service Commission is not actively pursuing rail safety and does not have enough inspectors to adequately cover the state.
The PSC is responsible for the supervision of railroads in partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration.
The review also found weaknesses in statewide emergency planning and the ability to quickly respond to a hazardous materials spill, particularly in northeastern Montana.
However, it concluded the Montana Department of Transportation is adequately managing highway rail-crossing safety.
Officials from the PSC and the Department of Military Affairs responded that they are limited by the budget and state law from following all of the report’s recommendations.
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