When Chemicals Attack
By Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Tuesday, August 2, 2005; Page A13
There's little doubt that if a nuclear or biological weapon were discovered in a crowded stadium or at a busy airport, the federal government would act swiftly and decisively to remove the threat, preserve public calm and bring the guilty parties to justice. Yet, the Bush administration continues to turn a blind eye to a major threat that is comparable in scope: toxic chemicals carried by rail cars through densely populated cities and towns.
According to security experts, chemicals that are toxic if inhaled represent a potential for mass casualties that is rivaled only by nuclear devices, bioterrorism and the collapse of large, occupied buildings. Yet, 90-ton rail tankers filled with deadly chemicals and other hazardous materials roll slowly through our major cities every day over unprotected and unguarded rails, with no warning to those communities.
Terrorists understand the destruction they could unleash by blowing up these tankers. The FBI and CIA have uncovered evidence that terrorists have targeted our domestic rail system. This shouldn't be a surprise. As we've seen recently in Madrid and London, rail systems are among the most frequently attacked terrorist targets worldwide.
The potential death toll of a tanker attack is staggering. The Chlorine Institute has estimated that an assault on a chlorine tanker could create a toxic cloud extending up to 15 miles. If this poisonous fog drifted over Capitol Hill, where deadly chemicals are transported just four blocks from the U.S. Capitol, thousands of people could be killed and Congress and the Supreme Court could be shut down for an extended period.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/02/AR2005080200305.html
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