110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 136
To expand the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium to include
the Transportation Technology Center.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 4, 2007
Mr. ALLARD introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
A BILL
To expand the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium to include
the Transportation Technology Center.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `National Domestic Preparedness Consortium
Expansion Act of 2007'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
(1) the Transportation Technology Center is a federally-owned multi-modal
testing and training facility in Pueblo, Colorado;
(2) this unique facility offers a significant opportunity to enhance technology
and training that will improve the ability of the Nation to prevent, minimize,
and respond to potential terrorist attacks similar to those which recently
occurred in London and Madrid;
(3) the distinctive environment of the Transportation Technology Center
allows testing and training activities to be carried out at a remote Colorado
location without disruption to the flow of passenger and rail traffic
in and around urban areas;
(4) the Emergency Response Training Center was established in 1985 at
the Transportation Technology Center to instruct the transportation industry,
chemical shippers, fire departments, emergency responders, and police
services how to respond to hazardous materials incidents safely and effectively;
(5) the Emergency Response Training Center is regarded as the unofficial
`graduate school' of hazardous materials training because of the focus
on hands-on, true to life, training exercises on actual rail vehicles,
including tank cars and passenger rail cars;
(6) the Emergency Response Training Center is uniquely positioned to teach
emergency response for railway-related emergencies with 69 railway freight
cars, 15 railroad passenger cars, 25 highway cargo tanks, van trailers,
and intermodal containers, and computer work stations equipped with the
latest emergency response software;
(7) the Passenger Railcar Security and Integrity Training Facility is
currently being developed at Transportation Technology Center to test
various inspection, response, and remediation techniques effectiveness
for mitigation to incidents involving passenger railcars;
(8) this facility focuses on chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear,
or explosive incidents and other activities associated with potential
terrorist events;
(9) this public private partnership facility offers a well-established
infrastructure, a host of emergency preparedness training experts, and
the support of the American Public Transit Association, the Association
of American Railroads, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal
Transit Authority, and the Colorado Senate;
(10) railroad tunnels and underground stations have been identified as
particularly high-risk targets for terrorists because of the potential
for large passenger volumes, confined spaces, relatively unrestricted
access, and the possibility for network disruptions with significant economic,
political and social impact;
(11) security experts have identified a number of technology and training
needs to prevent attacks on tunnels and to mitigate and remediate the
consequences of such attacks, including detection systems, dispersal control,
and decontamination techniques; and
(12) the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium does not currently
include a facility that is uniquely focused on emergency preparedness
within the railroad and mass transit environment.
SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF THE NATIONAL DOMESTIC PREPAREDNESS CONSORTIUM.
The National Domestic Preparedness Consortium shall include the Transportation
Technology Center located in Pueblo, Colorado.
END
