,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ehfh  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #aa1 #bjad 
,mr4 ,ellison introduced the following  
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,transportation and       
,infrastructure  ,a ,,bill  ,to provide 
for a study by the ,transportation      
,research ,board of the ,national       
,academies on the impact of diverting   
certain freight rail traffic to avoid   
urban areas1 and for other purposes4    
#a4 ,findings ,congress finds the       
following3  7#a7 ,the volume of crude   
oil transported by rail has             
significantly increased from--  7,a7    
#ba1jjj barrels a day in #bjji to #a4a  
million barrels a day in #bjad2 and     
7,b7 #i1ejj rail-carloads in #bjjh to   
#dae1jjj rail-carloads in #bjac4  7#b7  
,at any given time1 more than #b4e      
million gallons of crude oil is being   
transported across the country to       
refineries totaling a distance of more  
than #ajjj miles4  7#c7 ,more oil was   

spilled in #bjac from freight traffic   
than in the previous #d decades         
combined4  7#d7 ,increased spills result
 in catastrophes that have significantly
 and adversely impacted the following   
communities3  7,a7 ,minnesota1 in ,march
 #bjac1 when #cj1jjj gallons of crude   
oil spilled because of derailed cars4   
7,b7 ,lac-,mgantic1 ,canada1 in ,july   
#bjac1 when #a4f million gallons of     
crude oil spilled1 igniting a fire and  
exploding1 killing #dg people and       
forcing #b1jjj people from their homes4 
7,c7 ,north ,dakota1 in ,december #bjac1
 when #djj1jjj million gallons of crude 
oil spilled1 igniting a fire and forcing
 #fe percent of residents from their    
homes4  7,d7 ,virginia1 in ,march #bjad1
 when thousands of gallons of oil       
spilled1 contaminating the ,james ,river
 and requiring the evacuation of #gh1jjj
 people in the downtown of the city4    
7#e7 ,hazardous materials must be       
properly classified for transportation1 
according to requirements from the      

,pipeline and ,hazardous ,materials     
,safety ,administration 7,,phmsa74  7#f7
 ,crude oil is categorized as a ,class  
#c flammable liquid in either ,packing  
,group 7,,pg7 ,i or ,,ii4  7#g7 ,due to 
serious mislabeling practices1 the      
,department of ,transportation's        
,emergency ,order 7,docket ,no4         
,,dot-,,ost-#bjad-jjbe7 from ,february  
#bjad has forbidden the labeling of     
crude oil as ,,pg ,,iii for transport   
and handling until further notice2      
shipments must be labeled as either ,,pg
 ,i 7most serious hazard7 or ,,pg ,,ii  
7moderate hazard7 for proper handling   
and transport of crude oil4  7#h7       
,,phmsa has found that crude oil from   
the ,bakken region 7in ,north ,dakota1  
,montana1 and ,canada7 is more volatile 
than most other types of crude1 and     
subsequently1 more flammable4  7#i7 ,the
 samples that ,,phmsa tested from the   
,bakken region displayed characteristics
 consistent with those of a ,class #c   
flammable liquid1 ,,pg ,i or ,,ii1 with 

a predominance to ,,pg ,i1 the most     
dangerous class of ,class #c flammable  
liquids4  7#aj7 ,the oil industry group 
,north ,dakota ,petroleum ,council has  
recommended that ,bakken crude oil be   
labeled as ,,pg ,i hazardous materials  
for transportation4  7#aa7 ,oil from the
 ,bakken region accounts for about #ab  
percent of total domestic production4   
7#ab7 ,the ,national ,transportation    
,safety ,board 7,,ntsb7 has expressed   
concern that major loss of life1        
property damage and environmental       
consequences can occur when large       
volumes of crude oil or other flammable 
liquids are transported on a single     
train involved in an accident4  7#ac7   
,the ,,ntsb has recommended that routes 
transporting hazardous materials present
 the fewest overall safety and security 
risks by avoiding populated areas4  #b4 
,study on impact of diverting certain   
freight rail to avoid urban areas  7a7  
,in general ,not later than #c months   
after the date of enactment of this     

,act1 the ,secretary of ,transportation 
shall make appropriate arrangements with
 the ,transportation ,research ,board of
 the ,national ,academies under which   
the ,board shall conduct a study on the 
cost and impact of rerouting freight    
rail traffic containing hazardous       
material to avoid transportation of such
 hazardous material through urban areas4
  7b7 ,contents of study ,the study     
described under subsection 7a7 shall    
include--  7#a7 the benefits of         
rerouting freight rail traffic          
containing hazardous material to        
alternate existing railroad routes that 
avoid urban areas1 including benefits to
 the health and safety of the           
individuals living in such urban areas2 
7#b7 the benefits of construction of    
alternative railroad routes that avoid  
urban areas for transportation of       
freight rail containing hazardous       
material2  7#c7 the logistical          
feasibility of the actions described in 
paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b72 and  7#d7 the 

costs of taking the actions described in
 paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b74  7c7 ,report 
,in entering into an arrangement under  
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall    
request that the ,board transmit to     
,congress a report on the results of the
 study not later than #ba months after  
the date of enactment of this ,act4  7d7
 ,definitions  7#a7 ,hazardous material 
,the term hazardous material has the    
meaning given such term in section #eajb
 of title #di1 ,united ,states ,code4   
7#b7 ,urban area ,the term urban area   
means an urban area1 as designated by   
the ,bureau of the ,census1 with a      
population of greater than #cj1jjj4  7e7
 ,authorization of appropriations ,there
 are authorized to be appropriated      
#hej1jjj to carry out this ,act4