Short Line Safety Institute, state agencies receive hazmat grants

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has issued $128.2 million in grants to states, local communities, Tribal entities and nonprofit organizations for hazmat safety and response education.

Grants were awarded across six PHMSA programs. Among the recipients are the Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) and government transportation and utility agencies from Maryland, Montana, Ohio and Vermont. 

The SLSI will receive $200,000 from the Hazardous Materials Instructor Training program, as well as $250,000 from the Assistance for Local Emergency Response Training program category, which funds organizations that provide direct or web-based training to individuals responsible for responding to accidents and incidents involving hazardous materials, according to PHMSA.

Grants from the Hazardous Materials State Inspection (HMSI) program were awarded to four state agencies. The Maryland Department of the Environment received $82,120; Montana Department of Transportation received $120,919; the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio was awarded $306,002; and the Vermont Agency of Transportation received $32,700.

HMSI funds can be applied to the costs of performing inspections of hazmat shippers, including the costs of personnel, travel, equipment, supplies and inspector training, said PHMSA officials.

The full list of grant recipients can be found here.