Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Nevada lawmakers ask questions about railroad safety

CARSON CITY — In view of recent flooding, the safety of Nevada's railroad tracks is a concern for members of the Legislature.

Many of the tracks in Northern Nevada were under water, and the state Public Utilities Commission is looking for an inspector.

Anne Marie Cuneo, director of regulatory operations for the PUC, said one inspector retired. The PUC still has three railroad inspectors.

Sen. Pet Goicoechea, R-Eureka, said he was concerned if the state was in compliance with federal safety requirements.

Cuneo told a joint meeting of the legislative budget committees that federal inspectors are helping with safety examinations. The commission will have interviews Friday with an inspector applicant, but it will take a year to train a person once hired.

The new state inspector must be accompanied by an experienced director, she said. “We just can’t hire anybody,” she said.

Assemblywoman Robin Titus, R-Wellington, questioned whether there were safety inspections of the trains carrying dangerous material through Nevada. She said an example was the rail route through Northern Nevada to a military base in Hawthorne.

Cuneo said there were federal inspectors.

The Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly Ways and Means Committee questioned the proposed expenditure of $374,000 by the PUC to hire outside consultants on the depreciation of utilities.

Cuneo said NV Energy is expected to file a rate case in June, and Southwest Gas is expected to bring a rate case next year.