D.C. Hazmat Ruling Could Come Within Weeks

A federal judge could issue a ruling on the District of Columbia’s proposed ban on the transportation of hazardous materials in the next two weeks, news services reported Wednesday.

Judge Emmett Sullivan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia presided over a hearing Wednesday on the request of CSX Transportation Inc. and the federal government to overturn the D.C. law, which bans hazmat transportation within 2.2 miles of the U.S. Capitol, WTOP radio reported.

A spokesman for CSX said the law overstepped the city’s authority and it would “disrupt the rail network,” WTOP reported. The railroad and the federal government have said the city cannot interfere with interstate commerce.

An attorney for the city said that the dangers posed by hazmat transportation in the city have not been addressed by the federal government, WTOP said.

Judge Sullivan seemed to agree, WTOP reported, challenging CSX and the government to show they have addressed the rail system’s vulnerability to attack.

Sullivan could issue a ruling on CSX’s request for a preliminary injunction, which would overturn the ban, within the next two weeks.