A proposed federal rule that triples to $3,000 the annual registration fee for large motor carriers who haul hazardous materials but maintains a $300 fee for small carriers places an unfair burden on large carriers, American Trucking Associations said.
ATA’s comments were sent March 3 to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in response to the agency’s proposed rulemaking.
The increased fee was suggested by PHMSA as a way to increase funding — to $28 million from $14 million — for federal grants sent to states used primarily to train emergency response teams and make plans to respond to hazmat incidents.
PHMSA said that increasing the registration fees only for large carriers “will affect entities that can more easily absorb the increase.”
But ATA’s comments said that was not the case.
“This is not true, especially during the current economic climate where some of the largest motor carriers are suffering staggering losses and are struggling to survive,” wrote Richard Moskowitz, ATA’s vice president for energy affairs and regulatory affairs counsel.
By Eric Miller
Staff Reporter
