City of Milwaukee - File #: 150076

• File #: 150076
• Version: 2
• Type: Resolution
• Status: Passed
• File created: 4/21/2015
• In control: JUDICIARY & LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
• Final action: 5/12/2015
• Title: Substitute resolution relating to inspections of the railroad tracks, crossings and bridges on which Bakken crude oil is carried through Milwaukee.
• Sponsors: ALD. WITKOWSKI, ALD. BAUMAN
• Indexes: BRIDGES, RAILROADS

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
5/21/2015	2	MAYOR	SIGNED
5/12/2015	2	COMMON COUNCIL	ADOPTED	Pass	14:0
5/4/2015	2	CITY CLERK	DRAFT SUBMITTED
5/4/2015	0	JUDICIARY & LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
5/4/2015	0	JUDICIARY & LEGISLATION COMMITTEE
4/28/2015	1	CITY CLERK	DRAFT SUBMITTED
4/21/2015	0	COMMON COUNCIL	ASSIGNED TO

Number
150076
Version
SUBSTITUTE 2
Reference

Sponsor
ALD. WITKOWSKI AND BAUMAN
Title
Substitute resolution relating to inspections of the railroad tracks, crossings and bridges on which Bakken crude oil is carried through Milwaukee.
Analysis
This resolution urges state and federal regulators to conduct immediate and thorough inspections of the railroad tracks, crossings and bridges on which Bakken crude oil is carried through Milwaukee. It also expresses the City’s support for federal legislation increasing overall safety on rail line and the frequency of rail inspections.
Body
Whereas, Bakken crude oil, a highly combustible liquid, is transported via rail throughout Milwaukee; and

Whereas, At an increasing rate, oil is being transported via rail, and there has been a marked increase in oil train derailments, with the U.S. Department of Transportation predicting an average of 10 derailments of trains hauling oil per year; and

Whereas, H.R.1679, the Bakken Crude Stabilization Act of 2015, and S.R. 853, the Rail Shipper Fairness Act of 2015, have been introduced in the U.S. Congress; and

Whereas, According to the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis, track defects are the second leading cause of accidents on railways in the United States; and

Whereas, Milwaukee has multiple railway bridges and trestles, some dating over 100 years old; and

Whereas, Many of these railway bridges appear rusty, unkempt, and dilapidated, conveying the message that they are not well-maintained and stable; and

Whereas, Rail lines in Milwaukee pass through downtown and many other densely-populated areas; and

Whereas, In the event of a derailment and subsequent evacuation procedure, Milwaukee has an estimated 100,000 people living within a half mile of the rail lines; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the City of Milwaukee urges rail line owners and state and federal regulators to conduct...