Tighter curbs sought on transport of chemicals

Abstract

In the wake of two recent rail tankcar toxic chemical spills, chemical and railroad industry groups are stepping up efforts to tighten rules for transport of hazardous chemicals by broadening the application of federal hazardous materials regulations. Last week, the Chemical Manufacturers Association announced its support for efforts to identify and regulate the transportation of substances that are potential water pollution hazards. Concern for materials that can cause problems if spilled in large quantities into water was raised by the July 14 derailment of a Southern Pacific train carrying metham-sodium along the Sacramento River in northern California (C&EN, July 29, page 7). One possible method is to adopt, for domestic transportation, a list of substances contained in the International Maritime Organization's convention on marine pollutants, notes Morton L. Mullins, vice president of regulatory affairs for CMA. The U.S., along with 44 other countries, recently ratified IMO's marine pollutants (MAR...