Hazardous Rail Shipments in Densely Populated D.C.

This podcast describes past local government efforts to keep hazardous freight rail traffic out of D.C. and illuminates what DC government is doing now to protect D.C. citizens, using current laws and regulations. 

In 2005, the D.C. Council was blocked by the D.C. Court of Appeals from enforcing legislation that would have stopped rail transport of hazardous freight into DC.  In 2007 a  government report suggested routing rail freight traffic away from densely populated D.C., but that suggestion was not followed. 

In this podcast, Michael Somersall, Associate Director of the Rail Safety and Emergency Response Division of D.C.’s Environmental Services Administration describes how this Division enforces current state level and federal rail safety rules and regulations with the goal of protecting District residents and railroad employees from unsafe practices on both freight and passenger trains. Ann Wilcox and Don Resnikoff provided introductory information. Ann is co-chair of the D.C. Bar D.C. Affairs Community.  Don Resnikoff, who moderated the podcast, is a member of the D.C. Bar Antitrust and Consumer Law Community.

Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations.

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