Opinion ID: 574329
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: NT-8--Permit Requirements

Text: 37 We begin by analyzing NT-8, which requires a carrier to obtain a permit before it may transport hazardous materials. In order to obtain a permit, the carrier must submit a copy of the carrier's driver training program (including training for mountainous driving), proof of liability insurance, a nuclear incident plan, and a vehicle equipment failure plan. 38
39 In order to receive a State permit, a carrier must submit a copy of the company's driver training program, and [i]f the route to be traveled includes mountain driving (i.e., travel west of I-25 into or through the mountains), describe the training program which specifically involves the preparation for driving on mountainous roads under all types of weather conditions. 40 Colo.Regs. § 2.2-201, NT Appendix 8-A. Colorado contends that NT-8(a) furthers the HMTUSA's goals by ensuring safety and enforcement of the driver training requirement. 40 The Secretary's regulations concerning training for drivers transporting radioactive materials are extensive; coverage includes training in the requirements of the federal rules, the properties and hazards of the radioactive materials being transported, and emergency procedures. 49 C.F.R. § 177.825(d). The Secretary's regulations do not require a carrier to undergo mountain training or to submit proof of the completion of a driver training program to local authorities. Thus, Colorado's regulations go far beyond the HMR. 41
42 Colorado requires carriers to submit proof of insurance to the CPUC as part of the permit application. The Secretary's regulations do not, unlike Colorado's requirements, require the carrier to provide proof of insurance to officials of any of the various local jurisdictions through which hazardous materials are transported. We also note that the Secretary, in regulations promulgated under the Motor Carrier Safety Act, requires a motor carrier to retain proof of required insurance at his principal place of business and allow any member of the public to review this information. 49 C.F.R. § 387.7(d) & (e). 10 Therefore, Colorado's proof-of-insurance requirement causes a carrier of hazardous materials to submit more documentation than contemplated in the HMTUSA or other federal acts related to transportation. 43
44 Colorado requires the carrier to submit a plan to local officials that includes provisions for removing a truck and its cargo from an accident scene, preventing or minimizing radioactivity releases, and decontaminating the environment. This requirement specifically overlaps the provisions of 49 C.F.R. § 177.825(d), which provides that a driver must be trained in the procedures to follow in case of an accident or emergency. Colorado's regulations expand on federal regulations, requiring a carrier to generate more documentation and then supply that same documentation to a local authority.d. Vehicle equipment failure plan 45 Colorado requires the carrier to submit to the CPUC a plan for replacing or repairing equipment that has been placed out of service or that has become inoperative for other reasons. Vehicle equipment is regulated by the HMR only to the extent the HMR incorporates the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations by reference. 49 C.F.R. § 177.804. Although the Secretary's regulations establish requirements for driver training and require drivers to carry certificates of completion of the required training, 49 C.F.R. § 177.825(d), the regulations do not, unlike Colorado's requirements, require drivers to submit these documents, in advance, to officials in the various jurisdictions through which they transport hazardous materials. 46 All four of these provisions require carriers to generate and to submit documentation to local authorities that is in excess of the HMR's documentation requirements. The Secretary's regulations contain hundreds of information and documentation requirements, all of which have been established by the Secretary to ensure the health and safety of citizens in every jurisdiction. Congress specifically found that additional documentation and information requirements in one jurisdiction create unreasonable hazards in other jurisdictions and could confound shippers and carriers which attempt to comply with multiple and conflicting regulations. 49 U.S.C.App. § 1801. 47 Colorado's regulations clearly exceed the information and documentation requirements set forth in the Secretary of Transportation's regulations governing the transportation of radioactive materials. The enactment of separate information and documentation requirements in even a few of the thousands of local jurisdictions across the country would lead to the multiplicitous regulations Congress sought to avoid by enacting the HMTUSA. 11 Because Colorado's regulation forces transporters of hazardous materials to generate and maintain additional documentation and information, we conclude that it is likely to confound shippers and carriers and to increase the potential for hazards in other jurisdictions. Colorado's regulations simply do not further the federal purpose of promoting safety through uniformity. Therefore, we hold that NT-8 is preempted. 12