DOT Rules on Routing of Radioactive Materials
The transportation of radioactive materials over highways has been a concern to many fire departments. Some local governments established their own varying restrictions over this hazardous cargo but now the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has determined that public safety can be improved through new requirements that are more uniform nationally.
Believing that local jurisdictions are “inherently limited in perspective,” DOT will instead give to state governments the authority to designate acceptable safe routes for highway carriers of large quantities of these materials. If state action is not taken to specify an appropriate route, carriers are required to use interstate highways.
An imposition of bans or other severe restrictions, as suggested by some local officials, was rejected because the public risks in transporting radioactive materials by high way are too low to justify them, according to the DOT. The department also indicated that worst-case scenarios of major disasters, while of concern, were not the only factors to be considered in establishing public policy.
States will have the opportunity of deter mining the safest possible routes by analyzing population factors, accident rates and transit time all with the aim of minimizing the possibility of exposure to radioactive materials. There is a general requirement, however, that the state agency consult with the affected local jurisdiction before establishing the preferred routes.
Another aspect of the new rules requires carriers to file written route plans for eventual submission to the DOT. That department will consolidate the information from many carriers and provide data to local fire departments for their emergency response planning. The comprehensive training program “Handling Radioactive Materials Transportation Emergencies” will be available for all emergency service personnel. It supplements the 20-hour program already available on hazardous materials transportation emergencies. The entire package will be distributed to governors of each state on request. The new rules become effective next February.
