March 8 --
Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. has introduced a measure that would reroute hazardous chemical shipments away from population centers and other high threat areas.
"Right now, we have 90-ton rail tankers carrying toxic chemicals right past some of our nationīs largest cities," Biden said. "We are vulnerable, and we know how to fix it."
The Homeland Security Council released a report in July 2004 indicating that an explosion in an urban area of a rail tanker carrying chlorine could kill as many as 17,500 people and require nearly 100,000 to be hospitalized.
Bidenīs measure, an amendment to Senate Bill 4, would reroute the most dangerous chemical shipments away from high threat corridors where intentional attacks could seem more likely.
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