Potential danger is lurking on the railroad tracks that sit on Takoma Park's western edge and cut through downtown Silver Spring, a panel of experts said last week as they called for support of the District of Columbia's law regulating the transport of ultra-hazardous materials.Hmm.
At the top of the list of dangers is chlorine, which is shipped from Augusta, Ga., to northern New Jersey on 90-ton tanker cars. Fred Millar, a member of the District of Columbia Local Emergency Planning Committee who has a background in issues related to hazmat transport, said a terrorist attack on one of those tanker cars could kill as many as 100,000 people within 30 minutes of an explosion.
Takoma Park. That's where I've lived -- a short 10 minute walk from those tracks --- for the past 22 years, during which time I've witnessed three major derailments -- happily, none involving toxic chemicals.
Kind of makes you think....
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