Milwaukee Alderman Asks Rail Company To Help Pay For Disaster Plans

As more oil trains roll through Wisconsin, some officials are asking railroad companies to help pay for public information campaigns about what to do if a train explodes nearby.

At a Milwaukee Common Council committee meeting, Alderman Terry Witkowski had a question for officials of the Canadian Pacific railway, asking why city taxpayers have to foot the bill to put together evacuation and notification plans.

“If XYZ company moved into Milwaukee, and there was some problem, they would work with their neighbors and they would fund whatever it took. What responsibility does the railroad see?” he said.

Canadian Pacific’s Dale Buckholtz said his company has helped pay for first responder training.

“Very often, at least every other year or so, we do specialized training with the city haz-mat team,” he said.

Witkowski is also calling for more federal and state inspections of the rail tracks and bridges over which the oil trains roll.