Post-Sept. 11 Questions Still Linger in D.C.
UPDATED - Monday October 25, 2004 8:08pm
Washington (AP) - More than three years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, local officials in the nation's capital do not know what might lead the federal government to take control of public safety efforts in a future emergency.
"It's been unclear since 9/11 and we've been talking about it since then," District of Columbia Mayor Anthony A. Williams said Monday. Williams was among officials who testified at a D.C. Council Judiciary Committee hearing into command and other jurisdictional issues stemming from the district's huge federal presence.
"There's always a question of federal preemption," said Williams. With more than 1,250 federal office buildings and 175 foreign diplomatic missions located in the district and its nearby suburbs, several local jurisdictions could have their response plans subordinated to federal control.
While the Metropolitan Police Department (website - news) has jurisdictional authority on incidents that occur on city streets, federal facilities are controlled by various federal law enforcement agencies including the Secret Service, the FBI (website) and the Federal Protective Service.
"There has got to be a level of understanding about who's in charge," said Richard Ben-Veniste, a former member of the 9/11 Commission. The panel, established by Congress and named by President Bush (website - news - bio) , was charged with examining the terrorist attacks and making recommendations to Congress.
The D.C. Council is also considering legislation prohibiting the rail shipment of hazardous materials not designated for local use through the city. "It's quite appropriate to consider re-evaluating what we bring through this city," Ben-Veniste said.
The legislation, which could be presented as early as Nov. 9, would be only symbolic because the district government has no authority to regulate interstate commerce. The council has been seeking a review of the policy by the Department of Homeland Security since last spring.
Railcars carrying hazardous chemicals are allowed to pass within four blocks of the U.S. Capitol. The headquarters of several cabinet-level federal agencies are located even closer to CSX tracks handling such shipments.
Citing risks to members of Congress and their staffers as well as area residents, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (website - news - bio) , D-D.C., said Monday she would press to have the cars rerouted. Norton can sponsor legislation and vote in committee, but has no vote in the full House of Representatives.
"Experts say it is impossible to protect the public from a rail shipment explosion of highly toxic chemicals," Norton said.
Can someone tell these people that the traincars are stronger than what people know and that a chemical release of that magnitute is unlikely.
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