Hazmat Carriers Would Lose Authority for Not Paying Fines Under Proposal

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration proposed a rule that would strip hazardous materials motor carriers their operating authority if they fail to pay civil penalties within 90 days.

The proposal, which American Trucking Associations opposes, would then prohibit a person from engaging in hazmat operations “until payment has been made or an acceptable payment plan has been arranged.”

Carriers in Chapter 11 bankruptcy would be excluded, but the agency said it would revoke a carrier’s operating authority even if it is appealing the civil penalty, unless a court granted a motion to pause the penalty’s applicability.