http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=12402488&BRD=248&PAG=461&dept_id=462341&rfi=6
Nuke ammo transport worries county
By: JACK MABB
07/20/2004
HUDSON-At any given time radioactive material in the form of
depleted uranium from nuclear power plants and munitions may be traveling
the rails and roadways of America.
And while local officials understand the need for security surrounding
these shipments, a growing number of them also say the safety of local
first responders, responding to a train or truck accident involving these
shipments, must be considered.
Last week, Columbia County supervisors voiced their concerns on the subject
following a request from the Ulster County Legislature.
"We need to protect our first responders at all cost. It isn't fair that
they have no clue what they are dealing with," says Susan Zimet, a member
of the Ulster County Legislature. She sponsored a resolution in her county
that calls on the federal Department of Transportation not to renew DOT-E9649,
a regulation that allows the Military Management Command to transport
explosives and radioactive material with only an "explosive" placard
affixed to the container.
In the event of an accident that released the material, first responders
coming to the scene would have no knowledge of the potential radioactive
danger.
The regulation expired June 30 of this year. And Ms. Zimet says the DOT
has listened to those opposed to continuation of the regulation and has
not yet renewed it.
In May, the Ulster County Legislature unanimously approved the resolution
calling for the DOT to require identification of radioactive cargoes.
The Columbia County Board of Supervisors adopted a similar resolution
at its meeting last week.
While Columbia County seems far removed from weapons production and nuclear
power plants, the threads that link this county with other vulnerable
communities are the two CSX rail lines that pass through eight towns here.
Ms. Zimet says Ulster's emergency management director tried to find out
the routes and times the material is shipped but ran into a brick wall
of silence.
She says federal officials were "not forthcoming on information of the
route or manner the material was transported over." Ms. Zimet says at
one point some radioactive material was produced in the Albany suburb
of Colonie, which leads here to believe "that material passed though our
counties at some time."
Opponents of the regulation describe DU as "extremely toxic material," with
the danger increased when it is shipped as part of munitions.
One group, Nukewatch, in Luck, Wis., says an accident with these weapons
could have the effect of igniting what the federal government has described
as "dirty
bomb," a device the government has said terrorist organizations might
try to build and detonate.
County Fire Coordinator James Van Deusen says it is a good idea to mark
the containers to give first responders a fighting chance. "If they get
there and then discover what it is I think they will be out of luck," he
says. He adds that while firefighters are taught to check the scene for
their own safety first, the drive to help may overwhelm that learned prudence.
"Know what you're getting into-we teach it all the time. But in the heat
of a call sometimes it's how fast can you get there," he says.
While train transport is relatively safe, the Department of Transportation
reports that there are 2,000 derailments and 7,300 train accidents annually.
The Military Management Command has said that because of the risk of terrorism,
a cask ruptured on purpose is essentially a dirty bomb, and the government
needs to keep security on the shipments tight.
Ms. Zimet understands the argument, but she wonders why in lieu of a placard
on the cars or trailer identifying radioactive materials local emergency
management offices couldn't be notified of nuclear materials transportation
routes and times.
"I believe that they believe they need to keep this a secret, but that
doesn't mean we stop worrying about our first responders,"
she says.
Mr. Van Deusen agrees that prior notification could work well as long
as that notice is well ahead of the transport.
