Thursday, July 29, 2010Last Update: 8:19 AM PT

     WASHINGTON (CN) - Two agencies have proposed that trucks transporting explosives be better attended when the truck driver is absent. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration plan to designate a National Fire Protection Association standard for the construction and maintenance of safe havens used for unattended storage of high level explosives.
     The explosives at issue are designated Division 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 explosives, which include grenades, nitroglycerin, rockets, projectiles and ammunition tracers.
     The safe havens proposed would be away from bridges, tunnels, buildings and places where people congregate, and electric lines. Safe havens would be attended by people trained in emergency response procedures, and generally would not allow sparks, flames, smoking, weapons, cutting, welding, or operation of the engine or wiring during repairs.
     The trucks would be inspected for problems that could ignite a fire, and the haven would have fire protection equipment and a vehicle that can move trailers full of explosives, if necessary.
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     WASHINGTON (CN) - The medium tree-finch and the black breasted puffleg hummingbird, both native to Ecuador, are in danger of extinction, according to a proposal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the birds under the Endangered Species Act.
     The two birds were first proposed for listing in 1991 along with 38 other foreign species, but listing was precluded by a backlog of listing priorities.
     When a foreign species is listed under the act, importation or trade is prohibited within the United States.
     The puffleg hummingbird lives in the humid high-Andean wet cloud forests, while the finch is endemic to the Galapagos Islands.

     WASHINGTON (CN) - On the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it is considering requiring Internet retailers, movie theaters and others to accommodate people with disabilities.
     Contemplated regulations may require movie theaters to include closed captioning or video description for patrons who are hard of hearing or visually impaired. "Public accommodations," such as hotels, retail stores, travel services and schools, that use the Internet also may have to make their Web sites accessible to those with disabilities, according to a department notice.
     State and local government services, programs or activities offered via the Internet may need to be adapted for those with hearing and visual impairments, and equipment and furniture used in programs and services provided to the public may have to be made accessible to individuals with disabilities as well, the department announced.
     Finally, public entities that operate 9-1-1 call-taking centers may be required to change their technology to accommodate Internet and wireless text devices, along with older analog systems, the notice concluded.
     In other ADA news, the U.S. Attorney General signed the ADA Standards for Accessible Design July 23, which require government, public and commercial establishments to have accommodations for people with disabilities, according to the Department of Justice Web site.
     Also, to mark the 20th anniversary of the ADA signing, Rep. Jim Langevin, the first quadriplegic person to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, presided over the House for the first time, according to the Time Newsfeed Web site. He used a unique mechanical device to do this, thirty years after a shooting accident left him paralyzed from the chest, down, and ten years after being elected, the Associated Press reported. Langevin hopes that moments like this will inspire others to conquer the same roadblocks, reported the Time Web site.