Transportation: security issues pick up speed.(Cover story)

Five years after the terror attacks in the U.S., chemical shippers, carriers, and the federal government remain under fire for not doing enough to improve transportation security of hazardous materials. Shippers and carriers say they continuously invest to improve security; and there have been numerous voluntary initiatives as well as legislative proposals aimed at improving security of chemical cargo carried by rail, ship, and/or truck. But many critics contend that there has been no significant improvement in securing highly hazardous chemicals in transit, especially through highly populated areas. That "unfortunate" situation is likely to be one of the key homeland security issues raised as the U.S. moves closer toward Congressional elections in November, says Michael O'Hanlon, senior fellow at The Brookings Institution (Washington).

The resurrection of long-standing port and cargo security bills in the House and Senate is one indication that lawmakers have been gearing up for both the elections and the fifth-year anniversary of the terror attacks in the U.S., industry watchers say. Another indication was the withdrawal in March of state-owned DP World's (Dubai, UAE) plans to run certain operations at six U.S. container ports that it had recently purchased, they say. DP World's withdrawal came amid …