(The Associated Press circulated the following article on February 16.)
WASHINGTON — Now that Washington’s mayor has signed a bill to ban hazardous chemicals from trucks and trains, the city is preparing to defend the law in court.
Mayor Tony Williams says he anticipates a challenge. But DC is getting ready to issue the regulation in the next few days.
The Department of Transportation is creating a permit that freighters will have to apply for. D-DOT says there will be markings to show which train cars are allowed through the city.
Williams says the law is necessary to protect residents from a possible terrorist attack. The D-C Council has cited studies that show an attack on some chemicals being transported through downtown could kill as many as 100-thousand people.
CSX, which owns the rails, says it doesn’t want to re-route the materials through rural areas. Company officials have said it just transfers the risk someplace else.