Hazmat shippers assail RailAmerica plan
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefRailAmerica, Inc. says a “a special-interest group” including the American Chemistry Council, the Chlorine Institute, and the Fertilizer Institute is seeking to halt implementation of enhanced safety measures applying to transportation of chlorine and other toxic and poisonous commodities on the Alabama Gulf Coast Railway and other RailAmerica carriers. PPG Industries joined in a complaint filed with the Surface Transportation Board.
“The safety protocols begin with advance notification of a car’s delivery and continue with a special inspection of the car once it comes into the railroad’s possession,” RailAmerica said in a statement Tuesday. “The toxic/poison cars are then placed into short, dedicated trains with no more than three toxic/poison cars per train after which the dedicated train isoperated at a deliberate pace.
“Interests challenging the enhanced safety practices want the STB to order AGR to immediately discontinue its new safety protocols and to prohibit future implementation of enhanced safety protocols,” Jacksonville, Fla.-based RailAmerica said.
The group “inaccurately” told the STB that the new program imposes “unnecessary and wasteful additional costs on the movement of [toxic] materials,” said the short line and regional railroad operator.
RailAmerica noted that railroads have an obligation to provide service upon reasonable request and without imposing unreasonable requirements.
“Moving toxic materials and poison by rail imposes burdensome, costly, and risky obligations on railroads,” said Paul Lundberg, RA’s chief operations officer. “Steps that enhance public safety should not be consideredunnecessary, wasteful, or burdensome where toxic and poisonous materials are concerned. We look forward to defending safe-handling practices designed to protect colleagues, neighbors, and the communities we serve.”
The Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway operatesover 348 miles of owned and leased tracks from Pensacola, Fla., exportterminals north to Columbus, Miss., and from Mobile, Ala., north to Kimbrough,Ala.
