I wasn't sure whether to post this here or in the Wash Co News section. I'm hoping our local gov't knows of this, but I may write to the County Commissioners to be sure. This is a long post, but I'd love to hear others' opinions on it.

There's a bill before the D.C. government to ban the most dangerous of Hazardous Materials cargoes from D.C., in part citing terrorism concerns. Not those destined for D.C., but "through cargo" passing through the District. With truck transport, who cares? They'll just have to go around the Capital Beltway.

But one of the most vocal advocates of this bill is suggesting that RAIL traffic of these dangerous materials be diverted around D.C. by means of the Norfolk Southern rail line that goes through Hagerstown, down through Wash Co and across the river straight through the center of Shepherdstown WV. We're not talking all HazMat rail cargo, just most of it, specifically the ones dangerous enough that you have to evacuate people in the surrounding areas in case of an accident or intentional release. he loves to point out that the release of just one rail car of one of the most common of these would release a "toxic cloud" extending out for many miles. SCARY, no?

Consistent with the idea of moving potenntial terrorist targets through "non-target" areas, this approach admittedly (by this person's own admission) requires that we bear a greater accident risk in order to protect D.C. and the Federal Government. After all, one of the most heavily-travelled of the north-south rail lines bring tons of hazardous cargo through D.C. within about 4 blocks of the U.S. Capitol building. Diverting it makes sense, but it means that SOMEBODY gets to have a LOT more dangerous traffic going through their "back yard". That somebody ought to be us, according to the thinking of the advocates of this bill.

OKAY, I'm as patriotic as the next guy, but this is going to mean that our local HazMat response capabilities are going to have to be dramatically improved, and even then, there will remain a significant risk to our communiities. At the very least, this bill should go hand in hand with major funding for our local HazMat folks. Problem is, where is that funding going to come from? I for one am not interested in paying higher taxes or any kind of fees to protect myself from dangers that D.C. will be sending our way without our consent!

Where are the Feds in all of this? It turns out that they have decided that shifting risks like this is unfair to those who will receive the new risks. I AGREE! Their focus has therefore been on improving transportation safety and security. Efforts that many have criticised as woefully inadequate. The response? Bypass the Feds and have D.C. act independently with this ban.

The good news is that so far this is only a bill. But we may not have any ability to oppose it at this point. However, it must pass congressional review even after D.C. approves it. We may be able to kill it via our congressional representatives. More likely in my opinion, we may be able to demand funds for our HazMat folks and (hopefully) additional compensation for the risk to be borne by our citizenry . . . and the likely drop in property values experienced by those living near the rail line.

What most angers me is that the major advocate that I mentioned above is soliciting Montgomery County to support this bill, based on the fact that it will divert dangerous rail cargo out of Montgomery County (MC) too. (BTW, he's a well-connected environmentalist representing the D.C area Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth.) It bears mentioning that MC has NOT made a decision to support nor oppose this bill, nor to take any action whatsoever. It would after all divert some additional dangerous truck cargoes around the capital beltway, including through MC. So MC does not bear any responsibility for this.

As a Wash Co citizen, I was shocked to learn that this guy is trying to drum up support by trying to sell surrounding jurisdictions on the idea that it's good for them too. While meanwhile we sit up here thinking that D.C. is so far away that we needn't trouble ourselves with their goings-on.

What do you all think?

Sen. Byrd would not let that happen, he'd fillibuster before letting that pass through Shepherdstown. I don't know much about hazerdous materials, but aren't most of them from nuclear power plants? If they are I don't think it's fair that West Virginians bear the brunt of them since West Virginia uses no nuclear power.

The thing is, it's not quite so simple. The bill doesn't mention Hagerstown, Shepherdstown, or any other alternative route specifically. It would just prohibit through traffic of those nasty cargoes.

From that point, when one looks at the rail lines in the region, the line that goes down through Wash Co, across through Shepherdstown, through Front Royal VA just turns out to be the only acceptable alternative unless some new rail line that follows nearly the same path is built (not gonna happen). The routes around to the East of D.C. pass too close to the District to be safe from the standpoint of the impact of a release. there are also some important Federal Agencies and "contractors" located along those (Eastern) rail lines.

The District is gonna say that they don't care where the rail cargo goes as long as it doesn't go anywhere near them. Problem is, anybody with half a brain knows, and those who came up with the idea in the first place basically admit, that it means sending those cargoes our way.

We need to let all of our elected congressional representatives and Governors - MD, WV, and VA - know about this and our concerns.

While I agree it's no good for the hazardous cargo to be rerouted through this area, I can see their point of view. DC is our seat of government for the country and basically all of the free world. Blowing up a rail car carrying hazmat in Hagerstown/Shepardstown doesn't have quite the attraction to a terrorist as doing it within reach of DC.

If maintaining the safety of our government is really the goal of this bill, fine I can understand it....looks like we'll be collateral damage. I suspect though, that it's merely a "get it out of my backyard" plan.

They don't just have to blow up the cargo, the train could derail or crash and the hazerdous material could go all over the place.

Exactly. And our emergency planners and HazMat response capabilities must be able to cope with the increased risk we're being asked to assume.

I doubt we can even begin to hope to keep the cargo away. It's just that the additional risk MUST come with appropriate support for our emergency services professionals and any additional safeguards necessary to protect our citizens.

D.C. isn't in a position to provide said support, so they shouldn't be allowed to do this unilaterally.

I don't think it's fair that my state, West VIrginia, be forced to have HazMat material when we use no nuclear power. I'm just assuming though that the HazMat is from nuclear plants.

Actually, we're talking mostly about poisonous chemicals. Chemicals used by a great variety of businesses, but in very small amounts compared to those being transported in those rail cars.

I dare say that most of the chemicals invloved are used somewhere in the State of WV by someone, and most of them all over the State by many, many people. It's just that huge quantities would be shipped all the way through the state on their way elsewhere.

Nuclear fuel and waste are basically a separate issue.