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March 3, 2004 This letter went to the Members of the Committee on Public Works and the Environment, Council of the District of Columbia, on January 23, 2004 On behalf of the unions and companies of the Alliance for the Responsible Use of Chlorine Chemistry (ARCC-www.chlorallies.org), and in support of testimony given by the United Transportation Union, we are writing with respect to the proposed Council of the District of Columbia Bill 15-525. We support the Council's interest in hazmat safety in the District, but we cannot support the approach taken in this bill. We are writing on behalf of workers and companies, both locally and nationally, that produce and transport materials essential to U.S. commerce and national security, including hazardous materials. We believe that Americans must work together to make the Nation's Capital, and the whole country, safer and stronger. Chemical producers and rail shippers have cooperated with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to improve the security of both production and transportation, including transportation through the District. Transport of hazardous materials throughout the United States is strictly regulated by federal hazmat law. We do not believe that Bill 15-525 acknowledges the extensive actions regarding hazmat safety that have already been taken to protect the safety of District residents and all U.S. citizens. It appears to supercede the comprehensive, ongoing efforts of federal, regional, state and local agencies to protect the safety of the National Capital Region. We are concerned that this approach will not provide a real improvement in security for the Mall area or the District, but instead generate a transit disruption that would also threaten essential jobs in the rail and chemical industries. We urge you to involve the Council in understanding actions that have been taken, and to directly coordinate Council activity with the federal, state, regional and city level agencies that have been working on security issues, including hazmat transportation in the District, in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. We understand that you and other members of the National Capital Region Emergency Preparedness Council of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments have been working with public safety authorities responsible for developing a security plan for the District in conjunction with the DHS. We also understand that the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secret Service, the DOT, the D.C. Mayor's Office and first responder organizations have been involved with aspects of District security planning. We applaud these collaborative efforts and support them as the best way to address critical safety issues without impeding commerce in the region. We are prepared to assist you and the Council in working with both government and private industry to meet the objective of better protecting the National Capital Region and all the citizens of the District. However, we cannot support the approach used in Bill 15-525. Sincerely,
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