ATA Calls on PHMSA to Abandon Unwarranted Wetlines Proposal

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Apr 28, 2011, 08:56 ET

ARLINGTON, Va., April 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Trucking Associations told the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration it "strongly opposes" a proposal to require tank trucks to install equipment to drain flammable liquid from the piping used for loading and unloading.

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In comments filed April 27, ATA said PHMSA should drop its proposal because the costs associated with the so-called wetlines rule "far exceed the purported public safety benefits."

"PHMSA claims to be a data-driven, risk-based regulatory agency; however, this proposed rule departs from those important goals," ATA said. "We are extremely disappointed that the agency has turned its back on real world data in favor of a systematic group of unproven, unrealistic assumptions that bias the cost-benefit analysis to justify the proposed rule."

"Earlier this year, President Obama called on his regulatory agencies to examine their rules and to eliminate those that don't make sense, this wetlines proposal is a perfect example of one of those rules," ATA President and CEO Bill Graves said.

"As a tank truck operator that hauls gasoline, I know how important it is for our trucks to operate safely," said Barbara Windsor, president and CEO of Hahn Transportation Inc. and chairman of ATA. "However, this proposal will simply add immense costs for fleets without improving safety. It will impose an unnecessary burden on small businesses like mine all across the country."

ATA's full comments are available here.

The American Trucking Associations (www.truckline.com) is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of other trucking groups, industry-related conferences, and its 50 affiliated state trucking associations, ATA represents more than 37,000 members covering every type of motor carrier in the United States. Follow ATA on Twitter @TruckingMatters (www.twitter.com/truckingmatters), or become a fan on Facebook (http://tinyurl.com/y4qwp6h).

SOURCE American Trucking Associations