The City of Boston has been granted a 45-day extension of its ban on hazardous materials trucks driving through the city
, according to reports by the Boston Globe. Last week, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration had rejected the city's request to reroute these trucks around the city, and the pre-emption determination was supposed to take effect Monday.
In 2006, Mayor Thomas Menino's administration halted all daytime permits for trucks passing through Boston with hazardous or flammable materials, reports the Boston Globe. But the federal government must approve hazmat routes, and Boston never consulted the Department of Transportation about it.
In November 2009, the FMCSA issued a pre-emption determination, which said "This de facto modification to the city's routing designation . . . serves to shift the risk associated with that transportation to neighboring jurisdictions by forcing hazardous material motor carriers to use alternative routes bypassing the city of Boston."
The recent extension will give the city some more time to determine the safety aspects of its ban, a requirement by the federal government, the Globe says. However, Boston officials told the publication they are skeptical that the extension will allow for enough time.
With the extension, trucks carrying hazardous materials can travel through the city only between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. Trucks cannot use Commercial Street in the North End; truck must drive along the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway to get to Interstate 93, the Globe reports.
, according to reports by the Boston Globe. Last week, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration had rejected the city's request to reroute these trucks around the city, and the pre-emption determination was supposed to take effect Monday.
In 2006, Mayor Thomas Menino's administration halted all daytime permits for trucks passing through Boston with hazardous or flammable materials, reports the Boston Globe. But the federal government must approve hazmat routes, and Boston never consulted the Department of Transportation about it.
In November 2009, the FMCSA issued a pre-emption determination, which said "This de facto modification to the city's routing designation . . . serves to shift the risk associated with that transportation to neighboring jurisdictions by forcing hazardous material motor carriers to use alternative routes bypassing the city of Boston."
The recent extension will give the city some more time to determine the safety aspects of its ban, a requirement by the federal government, the Globe says. However, Boston officials told the publication they are skeptical that the extension will allow for enough time.
With the extension, trucks carrying hazardous materials can travel through the city only between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. Trucks cannot use Commercial Street in the North End; truck must drive along the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway to get to Interstate 93, the Globe reports.
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