Senate Counsel, Research
and Fiscal Analysis
Minnesota Senate Bldg.
95 University Avenue W. Suite 3300
St. Paul, MN 55155
(651) 296-4791
Alexis C. Stangl
Director
   Senate   
State of Minnesota
 
 
 
 
 
S.F. No. 2796 - Oil and Hazardous Materials Railroad and Pipeline Safety, Emergency Response (with A-1 Amendment)
 
Author: Senator Vicki Jensen
 
Prepared By: Krista Boyd, Senate Fiscal Analyst (651/296-7681)
 
Date: March 26, 2014



 

Section 1 requires the Commissioner of Public Safety to carry out public safety protection activities related to railroad and pipeline spill and discharge preparedness.  The duties of the commissioner are specified.  This section is effective the day following final enactment.

Section 2 adds a section of law on railroad and pipeline safety to the Department of Public Safety chapter of statutes.

Subdivision 1 defines terms as follows:

  • “Hazardous substance” is defined with reference to federal law to include designated chemicals, hazardous air pollutants, and hazardous waste.  Hazardous substance does not include natural gas in various forms, synthetic gas, or petroleum, including crude oil that is not otherwise a hazardous waste.
  • “Oil” includes petroleum, fuel oil, sludge, oil refuse, lubricating oils and hydraulic oils.
  • “Pipeline company” is an entity required under existing law to show specific preparedness for an effective response.  This includes owners/operators of:  a vessel that carries oil or hazardous substances in bulk; railroad cars that transport an aggregate monthly total in excess of 100,000 gallons of oil or hazardous substance; facilities with tank storage or transfer of at least one million gallons of oil or hazardous substance; and hazardous liquid pipeline facilities through which more than 100,000 gallons of oil or hazardous substance is transported.
  • “Railroad” is a common carrier for hire, engaged in rail transportation, and required under existing law to show specific preparedness.
  • “Unit train” has more than 25 tanker railcars carrying oil or hazardous substance cargo.

Subdivision 2 creates the railroad and pipeline safety account in the special revenue fund.  Money in the account is annually appropriated to the Commissioner of Public Safety for purposes under subdivision 3.

Subdivision 3 directs the commissioner to use money in the railroad and pipeline safety account for training and response preparedness relating to derailments, discharge, and spills of oil or hazardous substances from trains or pipelines.  Following consultation with the Fire Service Advisory Committee, the commissioner must allocate funds to the Board of Firefighter Training and Education and the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, based on specified criteria.

Subdivision 4 provides for an annual assessment of $2.5M to be imposed by the Commissioner of Public Safety on railroads and deposited in the railroad and pipeline safety account.  The assessment amount for each railroad is based 50 percent on unit train route miles in Minnesota and 50 percent on yearly gallons of oil and hazardous substances transported in Minnesota.

This section is effective July 1, 2014.

Section 3 requires the Commissioner of Public Safety to report, by January 15, 2015, to the legislative Transportation and Public Safety Committees concerning incident and emergency response preparedness for incidents involving oil and hazardous materials transported by rail and pipeline.  

Section 4 provides for a transfer on or before July 31, 2014, of $2.5M from the general fund to the railroad and pipeline safety account.  This section is effective July 1, 2014.

BB/KB:rer

 
Check on the status of this bill
 
Back to Senate Counsel and Research Bill Summaries page
 

 
This page is maintained by the Office of Senate Counsel, Research, and Fiscal Analysis for the Minnesota Senate.
 
Last review or update: 03/26/2014
 
If you see any errors on this page, please e-mail us at webmaster@senate.mn