NCJ Number
123872
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 38 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1990) Pages: 79-82
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article reviews California law and enforcement policy regarding the transportation of hazardous materials (HM).
Abstract
The massive numbers of deaths and injuries caused by the inhaling of poisonous chemical fumes in Bhopal, India, in 1985 triggered concern in California over the transportation of inhalant hazardous materials (IH), notably types of rocket fuels consumed by U.S. Air Force bases in California. California law requires IH rocket fuels to be transported along the same routes as explosives, notification to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) at least 72 hours in advance of shipping any of the seven rocket fuels, and special safeguards for the transportation of IH materials. Law also imposes requirements regarding the equipment and personnel that accompany vehicles carrying these materials. The CHP is responsible for enforcing these laws through its new Hazardous Materials Section. Among its other duties, this section trains the field personnel involved in scene management, emergency incident response, and hazardous waste enforcement.