Hazardous Materials Carriers Face Huge Increase in Registration Fees
Large trucking operations hauling hazardous materials will see their federal registration fees increase 660% beginning May 1 under new rules issued last week by the Research and Special Programs Administration.
The money will be used to fund an increase in RSPA grants to state and local employees who respond to incidents involving hazmats.
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The fees, announced Feb. 14, will require carriers with annual revenues in excess of $18.5 million to pay $2,000 annually. Smaller carriers would continue to pay the $300 now required of any company that carries hazardous materials for which a placard is needed.
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American Trucking Associations criticized the fee structure, saying it should have been based on the amount of hazmats carried. RSPA, an agency of the Department of Transportation, rejected proposals by shippers and carriers for alternative fee schedules, saying it preferred the simplicity of its plan.
