Hazardous Material Transport
Transporting Hazardous Materials
Each year, about 1.7 million carloads of hazardous materials (hazmat) are transported by rail in the Unites States. Materials that present a "Toxic Inhalation Hazard" (TIH) — gases or liquids (such as chlorine and anhydrous ammonia) that are especially hazardous if released — amount to about 100,000 of these carloads. Under the common carrier obligation, the federal government mandates that railroads are required to transport hazmat, whether they want to or not. Trucks and barges don't have this same obligation and may refuse to carry hazmat at their discretion.
Rail is by far the safest way to move hazardous materials. In 2007, 99.996 percent of rail hazmat shipments arrived at their destination safely. Rail hazmat accident rates are down 88 percent since 1980 and down 39 percent since 1990. Despite the industry’s strong safety record when it comes to the transportation of hazmat, railroads strongly support all efforts aimed at reducing the risks associated with highly hazardous materials by accelerating the development and use of safer chemicals, such as using bleach to treat water instead of chlorine, that can perform the same functions.
The National Academy of Sciences recently stated, "The most desirable solution to preventing chemical releases is to reduce or eliminate the hazard where possible, not to control it." Therefore, the best way to eliminate the risk involved with transporting hazmat is to stop transporting them.