MassDOT HazMat Truck Re-Routing Hearing - Waltham, Mass. - Aug 30 2011
Channel: North End Waterfront
Date: 2011-09-02

HazMat Truck Routing Hearing - Waltham, MA
Aug 30 2011

This video shows the August 30, 2011 public hearing held in Waltham, Mass. regarding the proposed re-routing of pass-through hazardous material (hazmat) trucks from downtown Boston to Route 128 and surrounding highways. City of Boston officials are strongly recommending the hazmat route change based on a comprehensive 182-page public safety analysis recently released by the Ohio-based independent research company, Battelle Memorial Institute. Waltham was the location of the third of the four public hearings being held by MassDOT near impacted areas. 

In stark contrast to the neighborhood reaction from the North End / Waterfront at the Boston public hearing, the community response in the suburbs was non-existent. Only politicians and those fulfilling a job function (ex: trucking lobby) testified against the proposal to have the trucks on Rt. 128. There were no homeowners or abutters to Rt. 128, nor community groups in attendance. A North End resident who testified in favor of the proposal was the only person who was NOT a politician or paid representative.