New York City, NY – Senator Charles Schumer, D-NY, says trucks loaded with chemicals and hazardous materials pose a terrorist danger.
He says more than eight million trucks pass through New York City each year, many of them laden with dangerous cargo.
To protect against a possible terrorist attack using trucks, Schumer wants the federal government to order background checks on drivers. He also recommends tracking cargos using global positioning technology and creating a computerized database to monitor hazardous materials traveling on the nation's highways.
Schumer noted that fuel tankers have been used by terrorists in attacks this year in Tunisia and Israel. He also said authorities were alerted when a truck hauling 96 drums of sodium cyanide was stolen outside Mexico City.
Schumer outlined his recommendations in a letter to the Department of Transportation.