| Las Vegas officials peeved at runaway railcar |
|---|
http://www.utu.org/worksite/detail_news.cfm?ArticleID=37605 LAS VEGAS - The mayor never wants to be blindsided by a runaway car again, the KLAS Web site reports. Reaction and the fallout from Wednesday’s runaway railcar containing the deadly chemical chlorine has come from just about everywhere. From changes the city of Las Vegas will make, to how the Clark County HAZMAT team could respond to a chlorine leak. The railcar coasted freely from south of Blue Diamond to North Las Vegas. The scariest thing for HAZMAT experts who looked at this incident is how close the railcar came to a lot of people. The track took it right behind the Mirage, Treasure Island, Fashion Show Mall, and Circus Circus. The runaway car went as fast as 55 miles-per-hour past the Clark County Government Center and downtown Las Vegas. |
The best part of the story is Sen. Harry Reid using the occasion of this mishap to beat the drum yet one more time about the Yucca Mt. nuclear waste site.
That’s FLAT CRAZY.
Someone with a penny could have gassed half of VEGAS.
Hmm, what did they ship the other way while everyone was looking at the runaway car? [oX)]
Sure that car was dangerous, we all grasp that. Someone forgot to do something, and that allowed a potentially dangerous situation to develop. I think the mayor is over-reacting a tad, but I can understand his anger. From the article, the Clark County Haz-Mat guys had a “Been there, done that, got the t-shirt” attitude, in other words, if a situation did develop, they were confident in their ability to minimize the situation.
[rant]
The part of the article that angered me was Senator Harry Reid and his big “Let me force my agenda into an unrelated event, so I can get some air time” attitude. His actions are the reason I absolutely detest politicians. None of them, on both sides of the aisle are worth half a handful of sun-dried pony pucks.
[/rant]
Anyway, was any reason given for the car’s escape? The article was kind of thin on those details.
The car’s escape story?
You need to give the Roadmaster and everyone above a few days to complete the arse chewing and firings of those reponsible.
How did this news get out? I thought it was “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
By the way, anybody catch the odds? I figure some action on the car gets through town without hitting anything pays some good bucks.
[(-D][(-D][(-D]
[#ditto]!!! Only problem was, before the books could announce the action, it was over.
Hizzonner is VERY sensitive about anything that might harm, or even frighten, visitors and potential visitors to Sin City - which is no secret to the inhabitants of Clark County.
Likewise, the propensity of The Honorable([(-D]) Senior Senator from Nevada to twist ANY event to suit his own agenda is equally well known. The fact that nuclear waste would be handled much more carefully than chlorine, even though it is far less hazardous, simply doesn’t enter his equation.
(If chlorine was handled like nuclear waste, that chlorine car would have had tank walls a yard and a half thick, and a capacity of about 100 gallons.)
I LIKE Mayor Goodman. I cannot say the same for Senator Reid.
Chuck (North Las Vegas resident)
Roadmaster??? (methinks SafetyValve needs some re-edjumakayshun and a railroad glossary)
Maybe the trainmaster/trainman, vandal or the industry … Car rolled out of a sidetrack unattended at Arden. Something smells fishy. (Car shoulda been on the ground before ever reaching the main)
Who (1) uncoupled and bled the air, (2) knocked off the handbrake and (3) knocked off the derail?
SHHHHH.
We don’t want them to know about the 50 cars of cyanide that went the other way…
Is that code for white boxcars?
…with shackles…
Hmmm. Perhaps someone within the plant needed to move the car a bit? It just got away…
If I had a dollar for every time that happens…
LC
Wouldn’t be the first time a car climbed over a hoptoad and kept going either[;)]
With the demise of the traveling circus the ‘clowns’ have had to find new work and the US Senate has garnered its share: current news indicates not only the man from Nevada but also one from Idaho. Methinks there may be more, and we can all nominate candidates with potential.
Mayor Goodman wants municipal legislation compelling notification about each movement of a hazmat car? What does he believe, that railroads will only schedule a runaway after filing the appropriate paperwork?
I sujggest he go stand trackside and take notice of any manifest train that comes by. I think it is highly probable it is going to contain some hazmat. He might have to create an “Office of Railroad Paperwork” to properly receive and file such notifications.
Additionally, it seems probable to me he is going to run into federal preemption of railroad regulation, but I am not an expert in that area.
A few more good ideas and this guy could qualify to join Senator Reid.
I don’t know. Nobody could acheive that plane of existence without a massive frontal lobotomy.
This whole thread has been quite the gas!
The mayor Fuming, the people unaware and innocent of the danger on the track and the ones responsible are being cashed out while the powers that be attempt to cap the whole sorry scene.
Maybe it SHOULD stay in Las Vegas.
A number of years ago (late 70’s - early 80’s) the city of Baltimore made that same request of Chessie System…with a newly installed computer system Chessie System was able to in short order supply information on the 680 HAZMAT cars that were in Baltimore, either at industry, in switching yards or on trains running through Baltimore on that day…The city decided that was more information than they had the bureaucracy to be able to handle.
Be careful of what you ask for…You may get it.