1S)

STANFORD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
STANFORD MEDICAL CENTER
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA 94304

DEPARTMENT OF GENETICS Area Code 415

Professor Joshua Lederberg 3UI-Reo

Hon. Abraham A. Ribicoff
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C.

Dear Senator:

I would be grateful to you for information you may have available
on: liability for damages incidental to transportetion of
hazgerdous moterials.

I note your bill, 3. 2915.

I have been a bit perplexed to find the stete of the law on civil
lizbility for railrood accidents. In principle, I would heve ex-
pected thet the anticipstion of dameges would heve been encugh to
shepe the carriers' operating procedures. But perhaps it is not
settled that the cerrier would be liable to ¢ significent extent
for the losses suffered, say, by the residents of 3 town blown wa
by en explosives accident. Are there limitstions of liability for
reguloted carriers? Would explicit negligence have to be shown?

Besides the important line of authority proposed in your bili for
direct administretive regulation, I wonder if the law should not
also impose an unconditional lisbility for losses to innocent by-
standers (if necessary,establishing an insurance system behind it).

But I cannot sensibly comment on this without 2 better understanding
of the present lew. As the issue may be quite pertinent to &. 2915,
it is, I hope, not presumptuous to es for a review by the Legis.
Ref. Service of the Librery of Conzress, if the natter is not alresdy
omply covered in aveilable references. ,
Thank you, snd with best vers onel regards,

Joshua Lederberg

NOTE: I write a weekly column on "Science and Man" for the Washington
Post and affiliated newspapers. Your information may be helpful
to me in drafting future columns.