(The following story by Ari Natter appeared on the Traffic World website on December 29.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. The effective date of the Transportation Security Administration’s rail transportation security rule has been extended by four months to April 1, 2009, after the railroad industry said the initial 30-day deadline would not give them enough time to comply.
The rule, published by the TSA Nov. 26, sets new security standards for rail shippers and carriers of certain chemicals, explosives and radioactive materials, including new requirements for inspection and tracking of such hazardous shipments.
The TSA originally set a Dec. 26 deadline, but the Association of American Railroads and its members requested a delay, arguing the original deadline “did not afford sufficient time” to comply with the requirement, according to a notice published in the Federal Register, Dec. 19.