Hazmat Placards to Stay

he Department of Transportation will not stop requiring placards for hazardous material shipments, although the Department of Homeland Security wants to change or discontinue the familiar diamond-shaped labels because they could be a magnet for terrorists, DOT officials and others familiar with the issue said.

In a report released after a request by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper, DOT concluded that despite security concerns, placards are critical sources of information for emergency personnel.

However, DOT’s Research and Special Programs Administration spokesman Joe Delcambre said while the government was not seeking to abolish placards, “it is not a closed issue.”