mr. speaker , i have every intention of supporting today 's homeland security authorization bill , but i think this bill could be dramatically improved , especially regarding the rail safety standards that apply to the shipment of extremely hazardous materials in local communities all across our nation . 
three days after i took office this year , an early morning train carrying three rail cars filled with chlorine gas slammed into a parked rail car in the town of graniteville , south carolina . 
this produced a toxic cloud of chlorine and sodium hydroxide that forced 5 , 400 local residents to flee for their lives . 
in all , over 240 people were sickened by the gas and 10 people died because of the accident . 
the long-term effects of the leak are still unknown and the cleanup process continues to this day . 
mr. speaker , what happened in graniteville was not an isolated incident . 
train accidents occur frequently in the united states . 
rail cars carrying hazardous , flammable or explosive materials not only pose a major health risk to the communities they travel through , they are vulnerable security threats to our nation 's homeland security efforts . 
these are would-be terrorist targets begging for attention . 
since the graniteville incident , i have met with a number of safety experts , and i guarantee that if any members of this congress were to sit down with these representatives they would be shocked to learn how many commonsense safeguards are out there that have not been implemented to address rail safety in this country . 
it is time to do more to improve rail security measures . 
the current safeguards for the transportation of hazardous materials are nowhere near what they need to be . 
that is not just a health concern for our local communities , it is a security concern for our entire nation . 
the amendment that the gentleman from massachusetts ( mr. markey ) xz4002530 and i offered yesterday helps close this gap in rail security measures . 
it provides hazardous material training for local first responders . 
it implements coordination and communication plans in the event of an accident or an attack , it develops new technology to make rail cars more resistant to punctures and , most importantly , it requires prenotification for local law enforcement whenever hazardous materials are being shipped through their communities . 
these safety standards are long overdue and they deserve a vote on the house floor . 
local leaders and the american people should not have to beg for sound safety measures and they should not have to wait for a debate on the issue . 
