Mass. Bans Daytime Hazmat Trips Through Boston

Trucks carrying hazardous materials will be banned from traveling through Boston during most of the daytime under a policy approved by Massachusetts state officials last week, the Boston Globe reported.

The decision follows a years-long fight between the city and the industry over hazmat trucks that travel through Boston.

Responding to a petition from American Trucking Associations, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration overturned Boston’s previous ban on daytime hazmat moves in 2010, plus its ban on hazmat trips through the city that did not start or end there.

FMCSA said at the time that Boston did not follow proper procedures in instituting the ban.

A consultant concluded in a study last year that Boston should ban hazmat trucks all day.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino praised last week’s decision by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, calling it a “victory for the people of Boston,” the Globe reported.

MassDOT will consider extending the ban through the night, the Globe said, citing a statement from Menino’s office.