Events Calendar
In This Section
Va. Tech report says staff warned their families first
Senate votes to preserve long-term care program
Obama visits heartland, seeks to reconnect with voters
CHICAGO Burglars hit law office ...
AmTrust Bank closed by government regulators
Pa. suspect in stolen cell phone pic turns self in
Soldier charged with murder in Fort Drum killings
Man charged with helping gunman who killed officers elude capture
Chicken stuffed with cocaine is recipe for arrest
Pennsylvania suspect in stolen cell phone picture turns self in
Most Read Stories
AmTrust Bank closed by government regulators
Cuyahoga Falls man faces charges over brother's death
Woman who dodged foreclosure locked out of home
Police: 2 moms, kids found dead might be linked
Man robbed responding to Craigslist ad in Akron
Teen charged with strangling brother, 10
Girl says dad forced her to eat cockroaches
Akron man robbed in his driveway
Man arrested in Green motel with teens, faces unlawful sex charge
Blogs:
Pets:
Pet Holiday Dangers
The Heldenfiles:
Talking Television
Patrick McManamon:
For your Saturday entertainment … a band most deserving of a spot in the Rock Hall
Akron Zips:
Two Zips up for top honor
Tribe Matters:
Kobayashi heads home
Cleveland Browns:
Breakthrough for Robo?
Kent State Sports:
Kent State loses to Xaxier 77-61
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Cavs vs. Bulls: And then LeBron said to Joakim
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeye Football – Present and Future
Varsity Letters:
Gulley commits to Syracuse
All Da King's Men:
The Obama Surge
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Hair-Brained
Akron Law Café:
How Private Is GPS Data?
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
Car Chase:
What Automotive Thing Are You Thankful For?
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Loan Modification – You Qualify!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Carol asks what is the Shawshank Trail?
Sound Check:
On the Town: Top entertainment tips
HRLite House:
Genetic Discrimination
Akron Gamer:
How do I know you have too much time on your hands?
New federal rules require rerouting of shipments of toxic chemicals, fortification of new tankers
By Michael Tarm
Associated Press
Published on Sunday, Jun 28, 2009
CHICAGO: When derailed freight train cars carrying ethanol burst into flames just 50 miles from her Chicago suburb, killing a motorist who tried to flee, Barrington Mayor Karen Darch saw her worst fears realized.
''This is exactly the kind of thing we've been afraid of,'' said Darch, who tried but failed to stop a railroad sale that will boost freight traffic through her village. ''Any community could find themselves in that situation.''
The derailment this month highlights the struggle to prevent such disasters along the 140,000-mile U.S. rail network. The pressure is on to tackle outstanding safety issues because hazardous-cargo shipments are expected to soar in coming years. Fears that terrorists might view chemical-laden tankers as easy targets add to the urgency.
But competing interests that sometimes pit the government against railroads, suburbs against cities or chemical makers against environmentalists complicate efforts to secure the shipment of around 1.7 million carloads of hazardous material a year.
One of the most contentious issues has been a new federal regulation that companies reroute trains hauling the most toxic materials away from big cities. Those rules apply to substances that can vaporize, like chlorine.
A 2005 train crash in Graniteville, S.C., that killed 9 people and injured hundreds of others involved chlorine, used by cities to purify water. The wreck ruptured a car carrying the chemical, releasing a poisonous cloud over the town.
Tankers amount to ''hell on wheels rolling through our communities,'' U.S. Rep. Edward Markey has said in support of the rerouting rules. In a catastrophic event, the Massachusetts Democrat said, tankers contain enough chlorine to kill 100,000 people in 30 minutes.
Other new federal rules that have been partially implemented require that new tankers be better fortified to lessen chances of spills or explosions. Amid current economic woes, though, railways aren't buying many new tankers.
21 accidents in 2008
Rail companies note accidents already are at historic lows. Out of the more than a million train cars that carried hazardous cargo in 2008, there were 21 train accidents where some material was released; that's down from 118 in 1980, according to federal data.
''You're at a very high level of safety right now,'' said Tom White, spokesman for the Association of American Railroads, the industry trade group.
Authorities have long deemed trains the safest way to move hazardous material. That's reflected in a federal mandate dating back at least 100 years requiring railroads carry such cargo, whether they like it or not.
Partly from fear that liability for a major accident could bankrupt them, some companies have called for that requirement to be canceled or eased. Federal officials have resisted such moves.
''Isn't it a little unfair to both require railroads to carry this stuff, and then say they are fully liable?'' White asked.
Some railroads have opposed mandatory rerouting of hazardous freight — a rule debated for years before its final implementation early this year.
They argued there's often no alternative to running trains through cities and that upgrading out-of-the-way tracks to bear tanker-car loads would prove costly.
''Rerouting can also substantially increase the distance a material travels and the amount of handling it requires,'' White said. ''That in itself can increase the safety risk.''
CHICAGO: When derailed freight train cars carrying ethanol burst into flames just 50 miles from her Chicago suburb, killing a motorist who tried to flee, Barrington Mayor Karen Darch saw her worst fears realized.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
