[ST. PAUL, MN] - Governor Tim Walz traveled to Raymond, Minnesota, this morning to survey the site where a train carrying ethanol derailed. The Governor met with residents and offered the state’s full support. The Governor is coordinating closely with the United States Department of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Public Safety, and Homeland Security and Emergency Management to protect the health and safety of the Raymond community. Photos from the visit are attached.

“I am immensely grateful for the swift, coordinated response between local, state, and national partners to ensure the immediate safety of the Raymond community,” said Governor Walz. “The state’s multi-agency emergency response team will continue working on the ground to ensure health and safety. This incident has highlighted the critical need to invest in rail safety and the state’s emergency management response to prevent incidents like this from happening again.”

As the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Rail Safety during his time in Congress, Governor Walz helped secure requirements around puncture-resistant DOT-117J tank cars to reduce fatalities during the transport of hazardous materials.

The Governor’s proposed budget makes significant investments in rail safety and emergency management, including:

    $600,000 for rail safety inspectors to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations

    Over $300 million in funds to make safety improvements at rail crossings

    Over $1 million annually to fund state emergency response assets and ensure response teams are ready to respond across the state when major emergency incidents occur

    $40 million in increased funding for the Disaster Assistance Contingency Account to help communities respond to and recover from disasters

    $1 million each year to support firefighter training and education

    Increasing funding for the Fire Safety Account to ensure fire agencies across the state have sustainable resources to support their work