CLEVELAND, May 10 — On April 24, Erie County, Ohio, became the third Ohio County and 8th U.S. county to pass a resolution calling for improved safety of remote control locomotives.
The resolutions asks railroad companies to refrain from operating remote control trains in Erie County until several safety considerations are met, including:
— Remotes cannot be used to transport hazaradous materials and/or move near tracks near hazardous materials;
— Remotes cannot be operated over a public or private grade crossing without a person occupying the cab of the locomotive who has the required skills to stop the locomotive and its attached equipment;
— Railroads must provide effective and reliable protection at the point of movement in any location accessible to the general public for any remote control operation; and
— Remote control engines must be equipped with devices to secure the operating cab and its controls against terrorists, vandals, and other authorized persons.
Ohio State Legislative Board Chairman Jim Ong lobbied on behalf of the Erie County resolution. He recognized the efforts of Mike Richmond, Legislative Representative of BLE Division 447 (Bellevue, Ohio), and Carl Rice, retired Secretary-Treasurer of the Ohio State Legislative Board. Brother Ong also thanked the Erie County Commissioners for passing the resolution.
In addition to Erie County, seven other counties have passed resolution that call for further investigation and improved safety of remote control operations. They are: Douglas County, Wisc.; West Baton Rouge Parish, La.; Point Coupee Parish, La.; Cuyahoga County, Ohio; Huron County, Ohio; Whitley County, Ky.; and Unicoi County, Tenn.
Seventeen U.S. cities have adopted similar resolutions: Baton Rouge, La.; Detroit, Mich.; Shreveport, La.; Marysville, Mich.; Boston, Mass.; Cleveland, Ohio; Pine Bluff, Ark.; North Little Rock, Ark.; Beardstown, Ill.; Bakersfield, Calif.; Woodbridge, N.J.; Belen, N.M.; Maple Heights, Ohio; Alliance, Neb.; Evansville, Ind.; Dupo, Ill.; and Durand, Mich.
Text of the Erie County resolution is available at:
http://www.ble.org/pr/pdf/erie.pdf