"These emergency response exercises are a great opportunity to test our joint systems and to practice with our partners on both sides of the border, in advance of an incident," said the EPA's Daniel A. Meer.
The nation's biggest railroads want relief from their requirement to transport toxic inhalation hazard materials.
The April 18 quake in southern Illinois is a reminder that Midwestern residents and businesses face the risk, the company said.
"By working together, we can improve the safety of food and other products and build a common defense against disease," Secretary Leavitt said.
Four federal agencies headed by NIST are involved in a hazards reduction program to strengthen structures and infrastructure and boost businesses' and communities' preparedness.
The DOT agencies proposing the rule say the May 14 meeting will focus on chlorine transport and the May 15 meeting on anhydrous ammonia.
The map at left is one of several diagrams experts used today in a press conference announcing that the chance of having a magnitude 6.7 or larger quake somewhere in the state within the next three decades exceeds 99 percent.
The agency plans to purchase thousands of the improved units and says it expects some of them to be available in time for this year's hurricane season.
A classroom and training center on rails will travel to 10 communities along the Mississippi River corridor in the next month to provide training to emergency responders.
NOAA's hurricane experts will visit five cities in their WP-3 Orion turboprop to raise awareness about hurricanes.