U.S. mayors want surcharge on dangerous rail shipments

Rail shipments of crude oil and other dangerous goods should face a surcharge when they move through urban areas, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and several other big city mayors said on Thursday at the annual U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting. A number of fiery derailments of crude-by-rail cargo in recent months have drawn attention from federal regulators who have vowed to keep train shipments safe. Emanuel on Thursday proposed a freight fee on dangerous rail cargo moving through cities like Chicago and called on federal authorities to quickly set new safety standards for tank cars. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter joined the call along with the mayors of Milwaukee, Kansas City and several others.