Federal Register, August 09, 2001 (Nbr. Vol. 66, No. 154)
Notices - Research and Special Programs Administration
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US Code - Title 49: Transportation - 49 USC 5125 - Sec. 5125. Preemption
US Code - Title 49: Transportation - 49 USC 5101 - Sec. 5101. Purpose
U.S. Supreme Court - Ray v. Atlantic Richfield Co., 435 U.S. 151 (1978)
U.S. Supreme Court - Florida Lime & Avocado Growers, Inc. v. Paul, 373 U.S. 132 (1963)
U.S. Supreme Court - Hines v. Davidowitz, 312 U.S. 52 (1941)
Federal Register: August 9, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 154)NoticesPage 41931-41935From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]DOCID:fr09au01-117DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONResearch and Special Programs AdministrationDocket No. RSPA-01-10293 (PDA-28(R))Application by the Town of Smithtown, NY for a Preemption Determination as to Ordinance on Transportation of Liquefied Natural GasAGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), DOT.ACTION: Public Notice and Invitation to comment.SUMMARY: Interested parties are invited to submit comments on an application by the Town of Smithtown, New York for an administrative determination whether Federal hazardous material transportation law preempts certain sections of the Town Code that require a permit for any motor vehicle used to deliver liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) within the Town and a ``certificate of fitness'' for any person who delivers LPG.DATES: Comments received on or before September 24, 2001, and rebuttal comments received on or before November 7, 2001, will be considered before issuance of an administrative[Page 41932]ruling. Rebuttal comments may discuss only those issues raised by comments received during the initial comment period and may not discuss new issues.ADDRESSES: The application and all comments received may be reviewed in the Dockets Office, U.S. Department of Transportation, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. The application and all comments are also available on-line through the home page of DOT's Docket Management System, at ``http://dms.dot.gov.''Comments must refer to Docket No. RSPA-01-10293 and may be submitted to the docket either in writing or electronically. Send three copies of each written comment to the Dockets Office at the above address. If you wish to receive confirmation of receipt of your written comments, include a self-addressed, stamped postcard. To submit comments electronically, log onto the Docket Management System website at http://dms.dot.gov, and click on ``Help,'' ``DMS Web Site,'' or ``DMS Frequently Asked Questions'' to obtain instructions for filing a document electronically.A copy of each comment must also be sent to John B. Zollo, Esq., Town Attorney, 99 West Main Street, P.O. Box 575, Smithtown, NY 11787. A certification that a copy has been sent to him must also be included with the comment. (The following format is suggested: ``I certify that a copy of this comment have been sent to Mr. Zollo at the address specified in the Federal Register.'')A list and subject mater index of hazardous materials preemption cases, including all inconsistency rulings and preemption determinations issued, are available through the home page of RSPA's Office of the Chief Counsel, at ``http://rspa-atty.dot.gov.'' A paper copy of this list and index will be provided at no cost upon request to the individual named in For Further Information Contact below.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Frazer C. Hilder, Office of the Chief Counsel, Research and Special Program Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC 20590-0001 (Tel. No. 202-366-4400).SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:I. Application for a Preemption DeterminationThe Town of Smithtown (Town), New York has asked RSPA to determine whether Federal hazardous material transportation law preempts sections 164-108 and 164-109 of the Town Code, concerning Fire Prevention Division permits and ``certificates of fitness'' for the delivery of LPG within the Town.In its application, the Town stated that ``Section 164-108 is essentially identical'' to provisions in Nassau County Ordinance No. 344-1979 that RSPA found are preempted with respect to trucks based outside Nassau County. PD-13(R), Nassau County, New York Ordinance on Transportation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, 65 FR 60238 (Oct. 10, 2000) (decision on petition for reconsideration), judicial review pending, Office of the Fire Marshal v. U.S. Dep't of Transportation, Civil Action No. 00-7200 (E.D.N.Y.). In PD-13(R), RSPA found that, as enforced and applied to vehicles based outside Nassau County, that County's permit requirement is an obstacle to accomplishing and carrying out Federal hazardous material transportation law and the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR), 49 CFR parts 171-180, because the County does not appear to be able to schedule and conduct inspections of trucks (required for a permit) without causing unnecessary delays in the transportation of hazardous materials from locations outside the County. 65 FR at 60245.The Town stated that the relevant provisions of Section 164-108 are as follows:A. No person, firm or corporation shall use or cause to be used any motor vehicle, tank truck, tank truck semitrailer or tank truck trailer for the transportation of liquefied petroleum gas unless, after complying with these regulations, a permit to operate any such vehicle has first been secured from the Fire Prevention Division. No permit shall be required under this section for any motor vehicle that is used for the transportation of LPG not operated or registered by an authorized dealer, in containers not larger than 10 gallons water capacity each (approximately 34 pounds' propane capacity) with an aggregate water capacity of 25 gallons (approximately 87 pounds) or when used in permanently mounted containers on the vehicle as motor fuel. This section shall not apply to any motor vehicle, tank truck, tank truck semitrailer or tank truck trailer traveling through the town and making no deliveries within the town.B. Permits shall be issued to a vehicle for the transportation of LPG only after a full safety inspection of the vehicle by the Fire Prevention Division and the Fire Marshal approves of the issuance of the permit.The Town also stated that, ``[i]n practice,'' its inspection and permit requirement ``is distinguishable from the Nassau County Ordinance,'' because its inspections do not last ``several hours''; they ``are scheduled in advance and scheduling is flexible.'' In an affidavit submitted with the application, the Town's Chief Fire Marshal stated that ``Appointments are available on a monthly basis (with the exception of winter months at the request of the LPG companies) and are made one month prior to the expiration of the permit.'' The permit is valid for one year, and the fee is $150 for a new permit and $75 for a renewal.The Town stated that the relevant provisions of section 164-109, concerning certificates of fitness, are the following:A. Certificate of fitness required. Any person filling containers at locations where LPG is sold and/or transferred from one vessel into another shall hold a valid certificate of fitness issued by the Fire Prevention Division. Such certificate is subject to revocation by the Fire Prevention Division at any time where the certificate holder displays evidence of noncompliance with the provisions of this chapter.E. The certificate of fitness shall be given full force and effect for a period of three years.I. Certificate of fitness issued. A certificate of fitness will be required of any person performing the following activities: (1) Filling containers permanently located at consumer sites from a cargo vehicle. (2) Selling LPG or transferring LPG from one vessel to anotherThe Town acknowledged that its certificate of fitness requirement applies to both persons who ``handle (fill and sell) LPG at commercial dispensing stations'' and ``operators of vehicles (bulk and rack type carriers) used for domestic delivery of LPG.'' The Town referred to RSPA's finding in PD-13(R) that Nassau County's certificate of fitness requirement is preempted insofar as that requirement is applied to a motor vehicle driver who sells or delivers LPG because it imposes more stringent training requirements than provided in the HMR. 63 FR 45283, 45288 (Aug. 25, 1998). The Town did not acknowledge that its own certificate of fitness requirement was found to be preempted with respect to motor vehicle drivers last year, in People v. Parago Gas Corp., No. SMTO 398-99 (Dist. Ct. Suffolk Co., Mar. 20, 2000).The Town stated that its certificate of fitness requirement ``is in no way duplicative of the training requirements'' in the HMR and that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations in 49 CFR parts 390-397 ``do not specifically address the safety provisions that are tested for a certificate of fitness.'' The Town stated that, to obtain a certificate of fitness, an applicant must pay $150, or $75 for renewal, and take ``a written examination that tests the applicant's knowledge of the required safety standards * * * in the Town's handbook'' as well as ``a practical test during which a fire marshal observes[Page 41933]the applicant performing the necessary operations.'' According to the application, these examinations ``are scheduled in advance, * * * given on several occasions in order to accommodate the applicant's schedule,'' and ``waived for applicants who possess a valid certificate of fitness from another jurisdiction.''The text of the Town's application is set forth in Appendix A. The following exhibits to the application are not reproduced, but copies will be provided at no cost upon request to the person identified in For Further Information Contact:1. Sections 164-108 and 164-109 of the Code of the Town of Smithtown.2. Application for LPG Certificate of Fitness form.3. LPG-Certificate of Fitness Study Guide.4. Affidavit of Richard L. McKay, Chief Fire Marshal.5. Application for LPG Motor Vehicle Transportation Permit and Motor Vehicle Inspection for LPG Transportation Permit forms.II. Federal PreemptionSection 5125 of Title 49 U.S.C. contains several preemption provisions that are relevant to this application. Subsection (a) provides that--in the absence of a waiver of preemption by DOT under section 5125(e) or specific authority in another Federal law--a requirement of a State, political subdivision of a State, or Indian tribe is preempted if (1) Complying with a requirement of the State, political subdivision or tribe and a requirement of this chapter or a regulation issued under this chapter is not possible; or (2) The requirement of the State, political subdivison, or Indian tribe, as applied or enforced, is an obstacle to the accomplishing and carrying out this chapter or a regulation prescribed under this chapter.These two paragraphs set forth the ``dual compliance'' and ``obstacle'' criteria that RSPA had applied in issuing inconsistency rulings prior to 1990, under the original preemption provision in the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (HMTA). Public Law 93-633 section 112(a), 88 Stat. 2161 (1975). The dual compliance and obstacle criteria are based on U.S. Supreme Court decisions on preemption. Hines v. Davidowitz, 312 U.S. 52 (1941); Florida Lime & Avocado Growers, Inc. v. Paul, 373 U.S. 132 (1963); Ray v. Atlantic Richfield, Inc., 435 U.S. 151 (1978).Subsection (b)(1) of 49 U.S.C. 5125 provides that a non-Federal requirement concerning any of the following subjects, that is not ``substantively the same as'' a provision of Federal hazardous material transportation law or a regulation prescribed under that law, is preempted unless it is authorized by another Federal law or DOT grants a wavier of preemption: (A) The designation, description, and classification of hazardous material. (B) The packing, repacking, handling, labeling, marking, and placarding of hazardous material. (C) The preparation, execution, and use of shipping documents related to hazardous material and requirements related to the number, contents, and placement of those documents. (D) The written notification, recording, and reporting of the unintentional release in transportation of hazardous material. (E) The design, manufacturing, fabricating, marking, maintenance, reconditioning, repairing, or testing of a packaging or a container represented, marked, certified, or sold as qualified for use in transporting hazardous material.To be ``substantively the same,'' the non-Federal requirement must ``conform[] in every significant respect to the Federal requirement. Editorial and other similar de minimis changes are permitted.'' 49 CFR 107.202(d).Subsection g(1) of 49 U.S.C. 5125 provides that a State, political subdivision, or Indian tribe may:Impose a fee related to transporting hazardous material only if the fee is fair and used for a purpose relating to transporting hazardous material, including enforcement and planning, developing, and maintaining a capability for emergency response.These preemption provisions in 49 U.S.C. 5125 carry out Congress's view that a single body of uniform Federal regulations promotes safety in the transportation of hazardous materials. In considering the HMTA, the Senate Commerce Committee ``endorse[d] the principle of preemption in order to preclude a multiplicity of State and local regulations and the potential for varying as well as conflicting regulations in the area of hazardous materials transportation.'' S. Rep. No. 1102, 93rd Cong. 2nd Sess. 37 (1974). When it amended the HMTA in 1990, Congress specifically found that: (3) Many States and localities have enacted laws and regulations which vary from Federal laws and regulations pertaining to the transportation of hazardous materials, thereby creating the potential for unreasonable hazards in other jurisdictions and confounding shippers and carriers which attempt to comply with multiple and conflicting registration, permitting, routing, notification, and other regulatory requirements, (4) Because of the potential risks to life, property, and the environment posed by unintentional releases of hazardous materials, consistency in laws and regulations governing the transportation of hazardous materials is necessary and desirable, (5) In order to achieve greater uniformity and to promote the public health, welfare, and safety at all levels, Federal standards for regulating the transportation of hazardous materials in intrastate, interstate, and foreign commerce are necessary and desirable.Public Law 101-615 section 2, 104 Stat. 3244. A Federal Court of Appeals has found that uniformity was the ``linchpin'' in the design of the HMTA, including the 1990 amendments that expanded the original preemption provisions. Colorado Pub. Util. Comm'n v. Harmon, 951 F. 2d 1571, 1575 (10th Cir. 1991). (In 1994, Congress revised, codified and enacted the HMTA ``without substantive change,'' at 49 U.S.C. Chapter 51. Pub. L. 103-272, 108 Stat. 745.)III. Preemption DeterminationsUnder 49 U.S.C. 5125(d)(1), any person (including a State, political subdivision of a State, or Indian tribe) directly affected by a requirement of a State, political subdivision or tribe may apply to the Secretary of Transportation for a determination whether the requirement is preempted. The Secretary of Transportation has delegated authority to RSPA to make determinations of preemption, except for those that concern highway routing, which have been delegated to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. 49 CFR 1.53(b).Section 5125(d)(1) requires that notice of an application for a preemption determination must be published in the Federal Register. Following the receipt and consideration of written comments, RSPA will publish its determination in the Federal Register. See