And since I’m on the subject, a bit of Jackson Browne from twenty years back:
As if freedom was a question of might
As if loyalty was black and white
You hear people say all the time–
“My country wrong or right”
I want to know what that’s got to do
With what it takes to find out what’s true
With everyone from the President on down
Trying to keep it from you
Yea, I read that when you posted it. It made me laugh then, and I just got another chuckle from reading it again. Thanks for reposting it.
Angry imagery in the Pit today…eek.
You’re a good guy, Dave, but in this case I have to come to RT’s defense a bit to be fair. What I took exception to was what I perceived to be a sensationalism, in the article he linked in the OP, of an actual problem that’s likely more minor, and more difficult to solve, than the press would have people think. I think RT agrees that the issue is broader than the article says, but has a very different level of concern as to the risk, as well as a different opinion on the solutions to the problems.
Also, I didn’t really post any facts, I posted my opinions based on what I know from my work and research. Without cites for backing, I’m unsure if I have any credibility on this message board at all, since I’m pretty much a dead ghost here. My point was to just try to scope the underlying issue out in terms that made it not so very black-and-white.
You can set that uncertainty down. You’re still the expert on coal, and coal-fired power plants, anytime you happen to drop by. In that area, your background and expertise is the cite.
And I appreciate your having taken the time to do so. I think our differences really come down to a difference in emphasis. You’d have liked a more thorough treatment of the larger issues, and more detail on some of the complexities of the area Quinn dealt with (which I can hardly blame you for), while I’m just relieved when a neglected topic like this gets into the popular press at all, in any form.
Bottom line is that rail lines run through DC along with I 95, US 1, MD 295, and other truck routes. Routes of commodity transfer means hazmat. Were the rails or the people there first, or did they effectively co-locate together over time? Business+rails=jobs+houses+people and all of that collective hoo hah, no matter how you run the equation.
The statement that chlorine passes “through” DC is an oversimplification, IMO. Total straight through is unlikely (although a percentage of tonnage may do so), as opposed to arriving at a switching yard in the DC area for redirection to other locations along the eastern seaboard, together with inland locations. Doing things that way makes fiscal sense.
In view of post #42 above, this claim made by Weirddave (in a thread that was closed before I could reply there) must be intended ironically:
You know, Tuckerfan, that’s a really stupid bet to offer. I mean, let’s say you win: in 2106, a 130 year-old Tuckerfan collects $100 bucks. What’s that going to buy you, one gallon of gas to put into your restored Tucker? And then you’ll be so frail that starting the engine will startle you into a fatal heart attack.
If this thread contains the information you were so bothered about in the closed thread, why in the world would you post in it thereby moving it back to the top of the page? 
I think RTFirelfly directing attention to the artcile is beneficial in that it at least addresses the issues/problems associated with transport security. It’s not just a simple matter of rerouting chlorine shipments (although that is one option out of a range of options that need to be explored).
Risk management/assessment does have a role in the decisions that need to be made with respect to transport security. But it’s one that involves a multitude of decision variables. Rerouting chlorine shipments away from certain areas of major cities may reduce the risk of large number of people being killed in the event of an accident/terrorist incident, but it needs to be considered with respect to other variables such as 2) the ability to respond to and contain an incident in a timely fashion; 3) the cost incurred by the shipper (and, hence, the consumer) on the rerouting; 4) the trade-offs with respect to other risk reduction/mitigation procedures; 5) How the re-routing fits in with other components of the transport infrastructure (trucking, maritime transport, pipelines, etc), as well as the source/destination players in the logistics chain; 6) and others that I have not mentioned that may be important.
Making the decision to re-reoute chlorine shipments will have a cascading effect on how that re-reouting affects other elements within the entire transport infrastructure (both in terms of security considerstions as well as economic considerations - note: this is looking a transport security from a national perspective. In individual transport sectors this may not necessarily apply; likewise, consideration needs to be taken with respect to the transport infrastructure at the local, regional, and state levels. Overall, issues regarding transport security are multi-dimensional and cannot be looked at in isolation). Not only is their a risk assessment/risk management component in all of this, but also a cost-benefit component (which I assume is factored into the risk management/assessment component).
Ideally, one would like to be able to implement the best possible security measures/procedures at the lowest possible cost (however that is defined). Ultimately, however, it will boil down to people in power making those decisions. We as a society need to decide what are acceptable levels of risk and create, implement, and apply the appropriate transport security measures/precautions to meet that objective. Not an easy task, to be sure, but one that needs be done.
Oh, and check this article out - Risk of toxic disaster looms over Linden
snicker Guess it’s not really about simply calling him by name.
Tradeoffs, dear, tradeoffs. The original thread was closed, Weirddave wasn’t worth a second new thread in one day, but his claim did require an answer. This was the place.
Also, my response to you in the closed thread might give you some additional reasons.