The U.S. Department of Transportation has nullified guidelines on hazardous materials hauling that were adopted in Cleveland, but which were not enforced during negotiations with American Trucking Associations.DOT’s Research and Special Programs Administration, which has determined that existing federal guidelines supersede the Cleveland rules, has the authority to overrule local and state governments on such issues.Cleveland would have prohibited the transportation of radiopharmaceuticals — radioactive materials used by hospitals to help diagnose illnesses — through its downtown area during weekday business hours, required 24 hours’ notice of the route and occasional police escorts, and specified distances that hazmat haulers would have to keep from other vehicles.For the full story, see the June 18 print edition of Transport Topics. .
DOT’s Research and Special Programs Administration, which has determined that existing federal guidelines supersede the Cleveland rules, has the authority to overrule local and state governments on such issues.Cleveland would have prohibited the transportation of radiopharmaceuticals — radioactive materials used by hospitals to help diagnose illnesses — through its downtown area during weekday business hours, required 24 hours’ notice of the route and occasional police escorts, and specified distances that hazmat haulers would have to keep from other vehicles.For the full story, see the June 18 print edition of Transport Topics. .