We may never know what hazardous goods are moving through Windsor-Essex along the railways.
That concern will be voiced at city council next week after information about the nature and volume of materials in tanker cars is now mired in bureaucratic red tape.
City councillor and chair of the Rail Issues Committee, Joanne Gignac says the report isn't on its way because of the contract. In it, Windsor’s fire Chief Bruce Montone must get the railway’s permission before disclosing any details. This even though the information can only be used for emergency planning purposes.
“I think the government did create an expectation amongst people that there was going to be information that was going to be made public, broadly public,” she says.
Officials with both CN and CP Rail wouldn't answer exactly why the report can't be made public, but emergency personnel CTV Windsor spoke with say it could be more dangerous if those facts were to fall into the wrong hands.
CTV Windsor asked CN and CP about other local municipalities and whether or not they've signed off, but the railways say those details has to come from Transport Canada. They are now researching the request.
Gignac will bring the issue forward at Windsor city council on Tuesday.
