FEATURE
HAZMAT TRANSPORT: NAVIGATING THE REGULATORY COMPLEXITIES
For decades, industry has moved along in the background of public life.
Companies and regulators have
worked behind the scenes to ensure that hazardous – but critical – materials got from point A to point B safe, intact, and on-time to keep our cities and towns moving. However, the specifics of transporting hazardous materials (hazmat) around the country and the world has recently captured public attention.
Incidents like the recent Ohio train derailment and explosion at a rail yard in Nebraska have put critical questions about the health and safety risks associated with moving hazmat, like fireworks, gasoline, argon, and more, at top of mind for everyday citizens. Now, they’re looking to regulators and industry leaders for reassurance.
If the public and private organisations invested in the transportation of hazardous materials are to succeed in restoring public trust in their commitment to health and safety, they will need to strengthen their existing ties, says John Sanders, Senior Program Manager at ABS Group.
Agency (EPA) to the Federal Regulatory Commission (FERC) to the Departments of Transportation, Agriculture, Homeland Security, and more may have a part to play in the process – not to mention the local and Tribal representatives that may govern different regions.
https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railroad-railyard-fire-hazardous-materials-9527651cde6c629f18bb947f95ab9f42
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/23/us/east-palestine-ohio-train-derailment-timeline/
index.html
On the other side of the coin, there are the private operators in both transportation and chemical and other hazmat processing that must also align on processes that meet regulatory requirements while maintaining a resilient supply chain to support a diverse range of hazmat shipping needs. Much like the government agencies noted above, each business has its own interests and objectives which guide their decisions, partnerships, and procedures.
BETTER COLLABORATION, SAFER PROCESSES If the public and private organisations invested in hazmat
Due to the complex regulatory landscape and even more complex processes involved in actually transporting hazmat, the public and private sectors have yet to reach alignment on practices and protocols to ensure events like those in Nebraska and Ohio are fewer and farther between. That will need to change in the coming months if we are to restore public trust in the institutions that both oversee and execute hazmat transport.
To do it, we’ll need to pursue widespread and bold action to strengthen the bonds between industry and government.
UNRAVELING THE REGULATORY RIDDLE The dynamics at play between the private entities
involved in hazmat transport and the regulatory agencies that oversee them are nearly as complicated as the processes they execute.
As is often true in critical infrastructure regulation, there is no one agency with authority over hazmat transport. The process touches environmental issues, zoning and land use, chemical storage, and more as well as multiple modes of long- and short-distance transportation. That is to say, everyone from the Environmental Protection
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transport are to succeed in restoring public trust in their commitment to health and safety, they will need to work to strengthen their existing ties and foster trust between them. Doing so will require both sides to come to the table with an open mind and a willingness to work together to secure the industry’s future.
While both parties will need to make adjustments, the push must start with governance. To begin, federal and local agencies should work together to standardise existing guidance across their ranks. Take liquified natural gas (LNG), the market for which is rapidly expanding, for example. LNG supply chains utilise pipelines, ships, and railcars, leading its transport to be regulated by FERC, the Department of Energy (DOE), DOT, and the Coast Guard, each with their own language and rules. And that’s in addition to any agencies that oversee the facilities in which its cooled and stored.
It’s a lot to manage, and the task will only become more convoluted as the material’s popularity grows. Beginning the task of reconciling and standardising LNG transportation guidance now will be a big help to businesses, making it easier to not only comply with but to understand the motivations behind the rules and embrace the benefits that come with them.
www.tomorrowshs.com
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