By Timothy Cama, Staff Reporter
This story appears in the Nov. 7 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to subscribe today.
A recently launched website, the Transportation Environmental Resource Center, aims to provide a wide range of information on environmental regulations for trucking companies.
TERC is “a new online compliance resource that provides information on environmental regulations affecting all transportation sectors,” the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, which maintains the site, said in a statement last month. It aims to host information for the aviation, rail and maritime industries, but it only focuses on trucking now.
American Trucking Associations assisted NCMS in developing the content and choosing the topics TERC covers, said Glen Kedzie, environmental counsel for ATA.
“We continue to meet with them monthly to keep on developing the site and expanding the site,” Kedzie told Transport Topics.
Among the features for trucking companies is a tool that helps carriers identify whether they are in total compliance with federal and state environmental regulations. This tool could tell carriers whether they need permits, are reporting the right information to the right agencies, are disposing of some substance incorrectly or other violations.
It also provides both summaries and detailed explanations of all federal and state environmental regulations that apply to trucking, in addition to voluntary programs such as the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay.
TERC also provides links to various government sites that host more information.
“It’s really good for all of our members, and I’m hoping that they’ll take advantage of this,” Kedzie said. The site — www.tercenter.org — is open and free to all users.
Funding for TERC comes from a grant from EPA’s Compliance Assistance Centers program, NCMS said in a statement announcing the site. EPA funds similar information websites for a variety of sectors.
“This is kind of a godsend to us, and it’s really going to be beneficial for our members,” Kedzie said.
NCMS will expand TERC to cover information about fuel as it relates to environmental compliance for the trucking industry, Kedzie said. Topics will include biodiesel and natural gas, he said.
NCMS hopes to complete the fuel section by the end of the year, Kedzie said.
