Six Northeastern states and the District of Columbia are paying special attention to inspecting waste trucks this week.

Delaware, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia will be stopping trucks on interstate highways, on turnpikes and other locations. Trucks will be checked for safety violations using the North American Standard Inspection Procedure, while waste-hauling environmental compliance will be evaluated using state laws and regulations.
Inspectors are authorized to order vehicles with violations off the road at the time of the inspection.
During the inspections, trucks will be checked for mechanical and safety problems, including inadequate steering, poor suspension systems, badly worn tires, faulty brakes, unsecured loads and excess weight. Potential environmental violations include faulty tarpaulins covering waste, improper signage, failure to have an on-board fire extinguisher, severely rusted truck beds and waste leakage.
According to Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary James M. Seif, this is an "effort to crack down on waste-hauling trucks that are operating with mechanical, safety and environmental violations. Our common goal is to get these trucks off our highways and local roads to increase public safety and decrease the potential for environmental hazards as well."