Safety

Pilots cited laptops as distraction that caused error

October 30, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – The pilots of Northwest Airlines Flight 188, which overshot its destination by 150 miles while carrying 147 passengers from San Diego to Minneapolis last week, have told authorities that they were at least partially distracted by laptop computers in the cockpit.

In the wake of this incident, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today announced that he will introduce “distracted flying” legislation to prohibit the use of non-essential portable electronics in the cockpit.    » read more »

October 19, 2009 -- Ship captains and pleasure boaters can now get free real-time information on water and weather conditions for the lower Mississippi River from a new NOAA ocean observing system that makes piloting a ship safer and more efficient.

The NOAA Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®) on the lower Mississippi River provides observations of tides, currents, water and air temperature, barometric pressure, winds and bridge clearance. Collected from a variety of sensors in and around the port, the data is available online and by phone: 888-817-7767 (toll-free).    » read more »

House Passes Legislation Introduced by Western New York Lawmakers to Strengthen Aviation Safety, Pilot Training and Passenger Confidence in Wake of Flight 3407 Tragedy

October 14, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Congressman Chris Lee (NY-26), Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-27) and Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-28) today called passage of H.R. 3371, the Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009, a strong first step forward to improve the safety of air travel in the United States.    » read more »

H.R. 3371 is the Strongest Bill Considered in 50 Years

October 14, 2009 -- WASHINGTON - The U.S. House of Representatives today passed historic aviation safety legislation introduced by Congressman Jerry F. Costello (D-IL), Chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee. H.R. 3371, The Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009, enhances airline safety by significantly increasing the flight hours required for commercial first officers and strengthening pilot training.

The bill, introduced in July, is the product of extensive hearings and roundtables with pilots, airlines, family groups and other stakeholders exploring recent regional airline crashes and pilot workforce issues.    » read more »

Legislation addresses recent incidents, including Comair 5191

WASHINGTON (October 14, 2009)—This afternoon, Rep. Ben Chandler supported H.R. 3371, legislation to make air travel safer by strengthening requirements for pilot hiring, training, and pilot fatigue.

“All passengers deserve to be safe in the air—it doesn’t matter which airline you fly,” Chandler said. “It concerns me that the last six fatal commercial airline crashes in the United States were all on regional carriers, and that includes Comair Flight 5191 in Lexington.”    » read more »

October 9, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- Reps. Mike Castle (R-DE) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), House architects of the Gun Show Loophole Closing Act (HR 2324), today praised Mayor Bloomberg's undercover investigation by the City of New York of illegal sales of firearms at gun shows in three states, and the report's recommendation for closing the gun show loophole.

Reps. Castle and McCarthy believe that now is the ideal time for HR 2324 to gain traction in Congress as Senator Frank Lautenberg introduced similar legislation and on the 2008 Presidential campaign trail, the concept enjoyed the bipartisan support of both candidates.    » read more »

October 7, 2009 -- (Washington, DC) - U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Queens/L.I.) today issued the following statement on New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s undercover investigation of illegal firearm sales at gun shows.

“I praise Mayor Bloomberg for launching this unprecedented undercover investigation of illegal sales at gun shows. This sting further exposes the ease with which felons and other individuals who are prohibited from purchasing guns can do so, and, most alarmingly, can do so without background checks.

The gun show loophole continues to be a very serious problem. The mayor’s investigation highlights the necessity of Congress passing the Gun Show Loophole Closing Act (H.R. 2324) of which I am proud to be a cosponsor.    » read more »

NJ Senator Is Author of Legislation To Require Background Checks At Gun Shows

October 7, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), the author of legislation to close the gun show loophole, today applauded a City of New York investigation that exposed overwhelming evidence that criminals and terrorists can easily access firearms at gun shows.    » read more »

FHWA, Oklahoma State University to Partner on Critical Research Endeavor

October 5, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – FHWA will conduct an ambitious new study to better understand and prevent motorcycle crashes, Administrator Victor Mendez announced today.

Despite years of steadily improving highway safety and roadway fatalities at historic lows, motorcycle riders remain one of the highest-risk groups on America’s roads. Nearly 5,300 motorcycle riders died in roadway crashes in 2008, accounting for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities, and 96,000 were injured.    » read more »

Agencies Unite on Outreach to Produce Industry

WASHINGTON, October 5, 2009 -- USDA's fresh produce chief will join FDA to develop new food safety rules, as part of a cooperative initiative between FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Today's announcement comes amid beefed up outreach efforts with key agriculture and safe food stakeholders to better share and exchange produce safety "best practices" and ideas.    » read more »

Schumer Calls On Congress To Quickly Pass His Legislation Banning Dangerous Practice

October 4, 2009 -- Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer released a new report showing the severe danger of texting while driving posed to New York City area teenagers. Schumer’s report found that nearly 100 teenagers were killed in the New York City area in just the last five years in accidents where the driver was found to be texting while they were driving.    » read more »

October 5, 2009 -- "Mr. President, the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis released an important report earlier this month detailing many of the potential dangers at gun shows. The report, Inside Gun Shows: What Goes on When Everybody Thinks Nobody’s Watching, was composed from an analysis of existing research as well as direct observation and photographic evidence.

During a three year period, data was collected from 78 gun shows in 19 states. The report provides a clear illustration of a largely unregulated gun market that is “an important source of guns used in criminal violence.”    » read more »

Savannah, Ga—Several international unions representing hundreds of thousands of chemical and food industry workers today again criticized the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) for not recommending strong standards to prevent deadly explosions in factories handling combustible dusts, despite the board’s prior endorsement of such a step.

The unions reacted to the CSB’s new report on the deadly sugar dust explosion on Feb. 7, 2008, at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Ga. The explosion killed fourteen people, injured scores of others and severely damaged the plant.    » read more »

In July, Schumer Introduced First-Ever Legislation To Require States To Bar Texting While Driving or Else Lose Federal Highway Funds

September 30, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) today urged the Obama administration to endorse tough penalties for states that refuse to impose bans on texting while driving, as proposed under legislation Schumer offered in July.

Schumer, in remarks made at the Transportation Department’s distracted driving summit, said that while the administration has supported the concept of such a ban, it has so far stopped short of specifically endorsing Schumer’s bill due to concerns about the sanctions that would befall states that fail to comply with a federal ban.    » read more »

Funds Will Help Local Governments Purchase Protective Gear, Upgrade Technology and Communications

September 30, 2009 -- The state has awarded $1.2 million in federal stimulus grants to 43 communities for public safety and crime prevention needs, Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell announced today.

The Governor said it is the fourth round of funding of the Justice Assistance Grants that the state received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). All 169 municipalities are eligible for the grants and, to date, 122 communities – large and small – have received nearly $3.3 million in four rounds of grant awards.    » read more »