Ed Greenberg, spokesperson for the Association of American Railroads, provided this statement following the Federal Railroad Administration's November 10 decision to reject a petition by several industry groups to delay a rule that expands drug and alcohol testing to MOW workers by a year:
"Major freight railroads in the country have comprehensive drug and alcohol testing programs for their employees, they support the rule for track maintenance workers and can meet the 2017 deadline, this is a priority for the industry.
"Freight railroads have been doing formal drug and alcohol testing for many years and the industry supports enhancements in this area. The freight rail industry not only complies with federally mandated drug and alcohol testing regulations, but go beyond those measures with stringent railroad-specific programs.
"This is an issue that is evident throughout today’s society that requires attention, and our industry supports the expansion of testing to include items such as synthetic opioids."