The city council finds that the stopping and layover of rail cars containing explosives as defined herein, in rail yards and along rail routes adjacent to, or in close proximity to, populated areas of the city constitutes an essentially local safety hazard; and that in the interest of providing for the health and safety of the population of the city, and for the purpose of protecting said population from the danger and devastation of explosions, the provisions of this chapter are enacted.
(Prior code § 9.51; Ord. 1233 § 1, 1973)
It is the intention of the city council that this chapter shall supplement federal and state law and shall be interpreted in a manner uniformly consistent with the laws and regulations of the United States and the State of California, so far as possible, to avoid an undue burden on commerce.
(Prior code § 9.52; Ord. 1233 § 1, 1973)
“Explosives”
means any substance or combination of substances, the primary or common purpose of which is detonation or rapid combustion and which is capable of a relatively instantaneous or rapid release of gas and heat. The term “explosive” or “explosives” shall include, but shall not necessarily be limited to, any of the following:
1. 
Dynamite, nitroglycerine, picric acid, lead azide, fulminate of mercury, black powder, smokeless powder, propellant explosives, detonating primers, blasting caps, commercial boosters, or nitrocarbonitrates (oxidizing materials) when transported in a combined load with any explosive, as defined in this section;
2. 
Substances determined to be Class A or Class B explosives as classified by the United States Department of Transportation;
3. 
Any material or combination of materials including atomic waste materials that spontaneously emit ionizing radiation;
4. 
The term “explosives” as used in this chapter shall not be deemed to include small arms ammunition of .75 caliber or less, not any other Class C explosives as classified by the United States Department of Transportation;
5. 
The term “explosives” does not include special fireworks classified by the United States Department of Transportation as Class B explosives.
“Person”
means a railroad engineer, conductor, yard master, train master, dispatcher, brakeman, terminal superintendent or any employee or other individual employed by or otherwise representing a rail carrier.
“Rail carrier”
means every rail corporation, freight line, freight forwarder, dispatcher, car loaning or car renting company, railroad or other company transporting explosives by train.
(Prior code § 9.53; Ord. 1233 § 1, 1973)
Every person having control of the movement, stopping or parking of a railroad train which is transporting explosives within the city shall operate said train in compliance with this chapter unless federal or state laws or regulations impose a greater affirmative obligation or a greater restraint, or unless compliance with this chapter would prevent full compliance with federal of state laws or regulations by persons subject thereto.
(Prior code § 9.54; Ord. 1233 § 1, 1973)
No person having control over the movement, stopping or parking of a railroad train, which train includes any rail car or cars containing explosives, shall knowingly cause the stopping or parking of such train or such rail car or cars, whether separated from or attached to a railroad locomotive or whether attached or separated from other rail cars not containing explosives, within the city, except when such stopping or parking is at a distance of not less than 2,600 feet from any building, dwelling house or other improvement upon real property except real property in lawful possession of any rail carrier, provided such property in possession of any rail carrier is not a passenger station or other improvement to which the public is generally admitted. This section does not apply to the stopping or parking of a rail car or cars containing explosives when necessary to make emergency repairs to rail tracks or beds, to cars, engines or other equipment used to transport explosives; nor does it apply to stopping or parking necessary to allow a passenger train to pass or when required for the safe handling of rail traffic or for the loading or unloading of rail cars, nor for the changing of crews, the switching of cars or trains from one track to another, the substitution of locomotives, nor inspection for safety purposes, nor when due to a wreck, derailment, flood, slide or other act of God. All such stopping, switching or parking must, however, be minimized by the prompt execution of such measures as are possible under the circumstances in order to remove all cars containing explosives to a distance of not less than 2,600 feet from improved real property.
Fences, road, bridges, power transmission lines, telephone poles, culverts and sign posts do not constitute improvements to real property for the purposes of this section.
(Prior code § 9.55; Ord. 1233 § 1, 1973)
It is unlawful and constitutes a misdemeanor for any person to violate the provisions of this chapter.
(Prior code § 9.56; Ord. 1233 § 1, 1973; Ord. 2657 §1, 1992)