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Essential Pittsburgh: Oil Train Safety with Senator Bob Casey

Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey is pushing legislation that would bring emergency managers and technical experts together to improve training and equipment for emergency responders handling oil train derailments. Recent derailments have caused explosions and fires in recent months. Sen Casey joins us by phone from Washington.

Casey explains that the legislation he is sponsoring -- the Response Act -- would do several things:

"It would examine ... training issues, resource issues, funding levels, access to communication -- all kinds of information and subject areas that [the relevant agencies and technical experts] should review. ... This is particularly important to small communities that don't have the resources, sometimes, that larger communities do."

Also in the program, Pitt law professor David Harris talks about Pittsburgh's selection for a new Justice Department initiative, and travel contributor Elaine Labalme shares her favorite flower shows travel destinations.

Oil Train Danger (starts at 0:00)

Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey is pushing legislation that would bring emergency managers and technical experts together to improve training and equipment for emergency responders handling oil train derailments. Recent derailments have caused explosions and fires in recent months. Sen Casey joins us by phone from Washington.

National Initiative for Building Community Trust & Justice (starts at 8:08)

Pittsburgh will be one of six pilot sites for the new National Initiative for Building Community Trust & Justice recently announced by the U.S. Department of Justice. Addressing the gap in trust between police departments and the communities they serve, is the goal of the initiative. We’ll discover why its coming to Pittsburgh and how it plans to meet its goals with Pitt Law Professor David Harris.  

Spring Flowers (starts at 41:18)

Don’t have time for April showers to bring May flowers? Contributor Elaine Labalme joins us this week to suggest some flower shows you should not miss. 
 

 
To leave a question or comment before or after the show dial 412-256-8783. More Essential Pittsburgh segments can be heard here

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