Help eliminate haphazard routes for hazardous materials

The city is currently in the process of determining which routes through the city are safest for the transport of nonradioactive hazardous materials such as gasoline, chlorine, sulfuric acid and propane. According to a press release from the city, such materials “can currently be transported on almost any roadway in Austin, including through areas with dense populations and vulnerable environmental features that are at high risk if a hazardous material release occurs.” State law requires that the city engage with the community to come up with safer alternatives. That effort begins next week with a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Ruiz Branch Public Library, Room B, 1600 Grove Blvd.