Federal Govt. Contemplates Removing Placards from Tank Cars

[dsktc]

From today's New York Times:

"They are just pieces of cardboard, and they cover less than a square
foot on the side of railroad tank car. But behind them lies a post-
9/11 competition between public safety and national security.

"For decades, emergency-response teams approaching train wrecks have
peered at the signs through binoculars to see what dangerous
chemicals might be leaking. But federal officials will soon decide on
a proposal to remove the placards from all tank cars. Their fear is
that terrorists could use them to lock in on targets for highly toxic
attacks."

http://tinyurl.com/6p525

Dave

[E3429]

Bad idea.

What think tank is coming up with these ideas anyway? Nothing quite like sending a hazmat team or some rural fire department to a scene of an accident with virtually NO clue as to what they're looking at. This concern for safety will wind up costing more lives than it protects if it ever goes through.
Not only would it be bad for any response team showing up to a scene of an accident, but it also adds to a potential disaster if a rail car is mis-spotted and loaded or off loaded where it shouldn't be. Accidents are going to happen no matter what. What's the point of making the outcome of them worse?

Makes about as much sense as taking the warnings off cigarettes because then MAYBE a potential terrorist won't know they're bad for you and smoke themselves out of existence.

"We think it's very important to be diligent about having information that could potentially be helpful to a terrorist," Ms. Gagner said.

And harmful to the people handling them on a daily basis. Like I said-Bad idea.

Just my opinion, though.

[busyEMT]

Bad idea.

What think tank is coming up with these ideas anyway? Nothing quite like sending a hazmat team or some rural fire department to a scene of an accident with virtually NO clue as to what they're looking at. This concern for safety will wind up costing more lives than it protects if it ever goes through.
Not only would it be bad for any response team showing up to a scene of an accident, but it also adds to a potential disaster if a rail car is mis-spotted and loaded or off loaded where it shouldn't be. Accidents are going to happen no matter what. What's the point of making the outcome of them worse?


I completely agree. It is obvious terrorist plans are done well in advance; not made as soon as they spot a chlorine placard through binoculars. The risk to responders is greatest.

[Ru1056]

This is just plain silly. In a day and age when your toaster has warnings not to make toast in the bathtub yet

federal officials will soon decide on a proposal to remove the placards from all tank cars
I couldnt see the RR's or the goverment taking the risk of a huge liablilty if something went wrong cause of removing the placards