(The Associated Press circulated the following article on July 31.)
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Some South Carolina city government leaders have formed a coalition that they hope will force railroad companies to work more cooperatively with local communities.
Orangeburg city administrator John Yow says the January wreck in Graniteville shows railroad companies need to be more responsive to the needs of local governments.
Nine people died when a train crashed into three parked cars, causing a tanker to release a cloud of chlorine gas.
Yow says he helped start the coalition out of frustration with railroad companies’ response to concerns about rail safety.
More than 30 municipal officials attended the group’s first meeting. The coalition plans to meet quarterly.