Hazardous-materials cargo to be counted in central Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - A study of hazardous materials shipped by train and truck through a three-county area in central Illinois is expected to begin this spring.

The study will count hazardous materials on major railroads and on commercial trucks at 20 locations in Sangamon, Menard and Christian counties, The State Journal-Register (http://bit.ly/2iApwwz ) reported.

Sangamon County emergency manager David Butt said the study will also track nine federally designated hazardous materials, from explosives to radioactive materials. Only Sangamon County was previously tracked. Menard and Christian counties were added thanks to a $40,000 grant from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Butt said.

Butt hopes to present a study contract at the February meeting of the Sangamon County Board. Proposals are due by Jan. 17 and tracking is set to begin in March. Under the plan, reports will be filed every three months, with a final report on rail traffic due in March 2018 and on truck traffic in May 2018.

The data acquired will be shared with local emergency service agencies, Butt said.

"It's for planning purposes," he said. "It helps the fire departments be aware of what might be coming through their area, and it gives transportation planners a better idea of what is coming through."

About $2 million in three-year grants was awarded statewide for the program, according to Illinois Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Patti Thompson. The grants are funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

There were 100 rail incidents involving hazardous materials in 2015, including 73 that involved a spill or release of hazardous materials to the air, according to rail-safety reports at the Illinois Commerce Commission. Most of those incidents involved petroleum spills.

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Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com