The Department of Transportation’s Office of Intermodalism is going to be the new traffic cop for the movement of hazardous materials in the United States.
The designation of a focal point within DOT to coordinate hazmat transportation policies was the major recommendation of a top-to-bottom review ordered by Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater in response to industry complaints about erratic enforcement and concern within the department that actions taken by one modal administration were having unintended safety implications in other areas.
DOT assigned 10 full-time staff members from the Office of Inspector General, Research and Special Programs Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Railroad Administration to report on how well each of the agencies has dealt with hazmat issues. Trucking issues were handled by FHWA, which has since transferred those responsibilities to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
In addition to recommending the establishment of an office to administer a department-wide hazmat program, the report, which was released in April, also says a greater effort should be made to identify and focus inspection resources on high-risk or problem shippers, strengthen training standards, and improve outreach and public education (5-1, p. 45).
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