SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - A study of hazardous materials shipped by train and truck through a three-county area in central Illinois is expected to begin this spring.
The study will count hazardous materials on major railroads and on commercial trucks at 20 locations in Sangamon, Menard and Christian counties.
Sangamon County emergency manager David Butt says the study will also track nine federally designated hazardous materials, from explosives to radioactive materials.
Only Sangamon County was previously tracked. Butt says Menard and Christian counties were added thanks to a $40,000 grant from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.
Tracking is set to begin in March. Reports will be filed every three months. A final report on rail traffic is due in March 2018 and on truck traffic in May 2018.
