Office of the City Clerk - Record #: O2014-59

• Record #: O2014-59
• Type: Ordinance
• Status: Failed to Pass
• Intro date: 1/15/2014
• Current Controlling Legislative Body: Committee on Finance
• Final action: 5/20/2015
• Title: Amendment of Municipal Code Chapter 9 -124 by adding new Section 9-124-500regarding hazardous material transportation fees for railroad tank cars
• Sponsors: Burke, Edward M., O'Shea, Matthew J., Austin, Carrie M., Laurino, Margaret, Harris, Michelle A., Lane, Lona, Beale, Anthony, Balcer, James, Willie B. Cochran, Reboyras, Ariel, Mitts, Emma, Foulkes, Toni
• Topic: MUNICIPAL CODE AMENDMENTS - Title 9 - Vehicles, Traffic & Rail Transportation
• Related files: R2015-407

Date	Journal Page Number	Action By	Action	Result
5/20/2015		City Council	Failed to Pass
1/15/2014	73506	City Council	Referred

ORDINANCE

WHEREAS, the City of Chicago is a home rule unit government pursuant to the 1970 Illinois Constitution, Article VII, Section 6(a); and

WHEREAS, pursuant to its home rule power, the City of Chicago may exercise any power and perform any function relating to its government and affairs, including the power to regulate for the protection ofthe public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and

WHEREAS, the City of Chicago is the largest rail hub in the United States; and

WHEREAS, with a railroad network of approximately 7,400 miles, Illinois has the country's second largest rail system; and

WHEREAS, the Chicago and St. Louis terminal switching districts are the two key points of interchange between eastern, western, northern and southern rail systems and handle over 40,000 rail cars on a typical weekday; and

WHEREAS, in 2010, railroads in Illinois handled 481.6 million tons of total freight and 10.989 million carloads of freight and is first in the nation for carloads carried and third for total rail tonnage handled; and

WHEREAS, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR), approximately seven percent of all rail traffic involves the movement of hazardous materials; and

WHEREAS, in 2010, railroads in Illinois handled approximately 33.712 million tons of hazardous materials; and

WHEREAS, last July a runaway train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, which killed 47 people and destroyed more than 100 homes and businesses; and

WHEREAS, on December 30, a mile-long train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded after colliding with another train in North Dakota, triggering a giant fireball and huge clouds of black smoke and forcing the evacuation of most of the residents in nearby Casselton, North Dakota; and

WHEREAS, these and other recent derailments and fires prompted a warning from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which stated that the type of crude ...