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Regulatory Compliance - NS must abide by several £ederal laws and regulatory <br />programs designed :o ensure the safe handling and wansport of hazardous materials, including: <br /> <br />U.S. DOT hazardous materials regulations (49 CFR 170-179) <br />Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of <br />1980 (CERCLA) <br />Resoume Conseawafion and Recovery Act of I976 (RCRA) <br /> <br /> The DOT ret~laxions closely regulate the transpomxion ofba~rdous materials. For <br />example, ~ach rail car (or block of mm) containing hazardous ro~-~rials must have the proper <br />documentation, including identification of the ma~rial and an ~ergen~ telephone number. <br />Most mrs containing ~us mat~'ials must display a placard or other markings to identify the <br />contents and the associated hazards. The regulations also control the pl~eanent ofha2ardous <br />materials mrs in a train. Cars containing incompatible materials am not to be placed next to each <br />other to reduce the risk ora ch~nical reaction. Similarly, incompatible ears am not to be placed <br />next to each other. For example, a hazardous materials tank car may not be placed next to a flat <br />car carrying steel pipe, as the pipe could shift and damage the tank car. <br /> <br /> NS also must comply with Federal Railroad Admim'stmtion (FRA) regulations covering <br />track and signal safety standards, locomotive and freight ear safety standards, and railroad <br />operating rules and practices, all ofwhich reduce the risk ofba~m:lous materials releases from <br />~cidenm. <br /> <br /> Safe Operating Practices - Induswy recommended safe operating l~actices for the <br />transportation of hazardous maier/als are provided in the American Association of Railroads <br />(AAR) Circular OT-55. There are four main areas addressing incident prevention: <br /> <br />Key Trains are trains u~t carry a specified amount of hazardous materials, and <br />have certain restri~ons such as a maximum speed of 50 mph and procedures for <br />meeting and passing other <br /> <br />Key Routes am any rail line segments wi~ aa ~ volume of 10,000 ear loads <br />(or greater) of any hazardous materials. Key mutes are subject to specific track <br />maimenance r,~luirements (twice yearly inspe~ons of main track and annual <br />inspections of sidings), and a maximum distance of 40 miles between aack-side <br />safety detectors (sensors that monitor performance of passing train cars, including <br />such items as wheels and dragging equlpmen0. Since 1992, 318 has applied key <br />route requirements to rail line segments with 9, 000 car loads of hazardous <br />materials. Track-side safety detectors are placed only I1 to 15 miles apart over <br />the entire ,VS systent <br /> <br />Yard Operating Procedures establish safe train car switching operations in rail <br />yards, ox%n going beyond the federal regulations. 3/23' has even tighter restrictions <br /> <br />May29.1998 2 <br /> <br /> <br />