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Bureau of Explosives Celebrates 100 Years of Industry Service FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 22, 2007, Pueblo, Colo. The Bureau of Explosives is celebrating a major milestone in its history. At this year’s 20th Annual Hazardous Materials Seminar in Kansas City, MO, the Association of American Railroads (AAR), Transportation Technology Center, Inc. will be celebrating 100 years of service as a self-policing agency promoting safe transportation of explosives and other hazardous materials to the industry. This year’s seminar will be held May 22-24 and is designed to offer information of value across all professional disciplines within the hazardous materials community. Mr. Ed Hamberger, President of the AAR will be this year’s key note speaker. Over 30 workshops will be offered on emergency response, regulatory requirements, and other transportation related issues. The BOE was founded in 1907 by the railroad industry, and according to Chief Inspector Allen Maty “actually wrote the first hazardous materials regulations, which were subsequently adopted and expanded upon by the Interstate Commerce Commission and later the U.S. Department of Transportation.” Following a growing number of accidents involving explosives that raised the cost of transporting explosives, the BOE was created under the American Railway Association (ARA), predecessor of the Association of American Railroads. With a chemical laboratory and 16 inspectors, the BOE immediately took the lead in inspecting shipments, encouraging improvements in shipping techniques, and developing rules that formed the basis of all modern regulations of hazardous shipments. Although the BOE was granted considerable powers by its constitution, which was adopted by the majority of ARA member railroads, it used the approach of encouraging compliance. This was accomplished primarily by informing and educating shippers and railroad personnel on why the rules were necessary for their safety. Soon the BOE membership rose, and by 1912, 68 percent of all carrier track was under its guidance. Today, BOE inspectors, located throughout North America, carry on the tradition of inspecting the North American railroads for safe shipping practices, as well as training railroad and chemical industry personnel. Over the past 20 years, the BOE has been presenting the annual Bureau of Explosives Hazmat Seminar in an effort to reach out to industry personnel and promote hazmat safety. ###
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