In the Friday, September 04, 2015 edition of the Federal Register, the US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced a new grant program. Under the Railroad Safety Grants for the Safe Transportation of Energy Products by Rail Program (Step Rail), ten million dollars is being made available to local and state governments…
US Federal Railroad Administration Issues Proposed Rulemaking to Codify Emergency Order 28 of August 2013
At approximately 1:15 AM EST on July 6th, 2013, a unit freight train of the cross-border operating Montreal, Maine, & Atlantic Railroad (MM&A) loaded with crude oil from the Bakken Shale Formations in North Dakota in the western United States suffered a failure of its automatic and manual braking systems while left unattended and presumably…
USDOT/PHMSA Submits Paper for Upcoming UN Session on the Transport of Dangerous Goods
The United States Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) continues to respond to the disastrous train derailment in La Megantic, Quebec on July 6th, 2013. In that incident, an unmanned and unattended Montreal, Maine, & Atlantic (MM&A) freight train carrying crude oil derailed after a brake failure and subsequent uncontrolled…
A Somber Anniversary—25 Years after the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
It is a truism that regulations, whether related to transport, safety, building codes, etc, are to a degree “written in blood” in a turn of phrase often used by safety professionals; that is, often the genesis of a particular rule is based on the lessons learned from an incident which sadly often involved a tragedy…
USDOT Issues Further Emergency Order Related to Crude Oil Transport and Classification
At approximately 1:15 AM EST on July 6th, 2013, a unit freight train of the cross-border operating Montreal, Maine, & Atlantic Railroad (MM&A) loaded with crude oil from the Bakken Shale Formations in North Dakota in the western United States suffered an as-yet unexplained failure of its automatic and manual braking systems while left unattended…
Chemical Fire in Iowa may involve Hazardous Materials
A reported fire and potential hazardous materials release near an airport in a small Iowa town is in the news today. Major news organizations reported Thursday morning that local emergency responders were engaged in fighting a fire which may involve the release of hazardous materials including sulfuric acid at a fertilizer plant at or near…
Product Returns Present a Hazmat Challenge for Retailers
As the holidays approach, many retail companies will see an influx of product returns due to extremely liberal return policies geared to attract customers. Retailers’ employees, though, don’t always recognize the potential hazards inherent in some consumer products. As a result, they may unknowingly violate federal laws and regulations, and put many at risk. Improperly…
Introducing the Labelmaster Blog
Welcome to the new Labelmaster Blog, your source for the latest hazardous material regulatory news, industry updates, new product availability, and more! Our company’s intricate knowledge of the ever-shifting domestic and international regulatory landscape ensures that if it’s happening in hazmat, you’ll read about it here. We encourage reader participation and conversation, so please reach…