‘It shouldn’t take a major disaster to spur government action’: Taylor Bachrach, Northwest B.C. MP
Parliament will hold six days of hearings in the coming months on whether communities are protected enough from spills and fires caused by transporting dangerous goods via rail.
On Dec. 10, Taylor Bachrach, Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP, questioned Transport Canada’s top officials. The department is responsible for policies concerning rail safety and the transport of these materials.
“I was shocked by their inability to answer basic questions,” said Bachrach. “People in communities like Terrace and Smithers [in B.C.] see trains full of dangerous goods sitting in the heart of their communities and deserve to know what the plan is.”
According to the Railway Association of Canada, dangerous goods such as