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Workers Patch Chlorine-Leaking Railroad Car
Workers in South Carolina yesterday temporarily sealed a railroad car that had been leaking chlorine gas since an accident last week that killed nine and injured more than 250, according to the Associated Press (see GSN, Jan. 7). Work will now begin on transferring the gas to a safer container and removing the damaged railroad cars, said South Carolina Health and Environmental Control Department spokesman Thomas Berry. Federal investigators are examining why a switch mechanism had been set to send an oncoming train into cars parked on a side track, according to AP. The FBI checked for fingerprints on the switch mechanism to determine who may have operated the equipment, said a spokeswoman for the National Transportation Safety Board, adding that there were no signs of tampering (Associated Press/Baltimore Sun, Jan. 10). Meanwhile, current and former officials said that more needs to be done to improve the security of trains that carry hazardous chemicals, especially since many cars contain structural weaknesses that make them easier to rupture, the New York Times reported. The National Transportation Safety Board released a report last year warning that more than half of the 60,000 pressurized tanker cars in operation were not built according to current industry standards, according to the Times. The FBI warned in 2002 that al-Qaeda could be seeking to cause train derailments or to blow up tank cars containing toxic materials, the Times reported. “Whether it’s an accident or al-Qaeda, these hazardous materials are very vulnerable and pose a great risk to populated areas,” said Representative Edward Markey (D-Mass.). Last week’s accident may improve the chances that local officials in Washington, D.C. would pass a ban on toxic rail shipments through the city, according to the Times. Federal and railroad officials oppose such a ban, and the District of Columbia Council rejected a proposal last year (see GSN, Nov. 23, 2004). The ban is expected to be reconsidered by council members early next month, the Times reported. “Frankly, the horrific news out of South Carolina underscores that these really are nasty chemicals,” Councilwoman Kathy Patterson said, “and that could make a difference with my colleagues, especially given the extent that we are vulnerable here” (Bogdanich/Drew, New York Times, Jan. 9).
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