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Add Boston to the growing list of cities that are passing or proposing legislation that bans rail moves of hazardous materials in downtown areas.

The Boston city council recently introduced a bill that would ban “ultra-hazardous” rail cargoes within 2.5 miles of the city’s Copley Square unless a railroad obtains a Boston Fire Department permit.

“In our day and age, when we're trying to make the city safe from terrorist activity, I think homeland security on our rail system has to be of paramount concern,” said Boston City Councilor Stephen Murphy in a prepared statement.

Haz-mat bans — which are opposed by the rail industry, Surface Transportation Board, and U.S. departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Transportation — already have been passed in Washington D.C., and proposed in Cleveland. The justice department and rail industry is challenging the D.C. ban, which is tied up in a federal district court. In addition, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Atlanta and the state of California, among others, are considering haz-mat bans.