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Weekly News Digest
DOT 127-03
November 7, 2003
FMCSA Extends Deadline for Requiring
Hazardous Materials Endorsement to April 1. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have
extended the compliance deadline for requiring background checks on commercial
drivers certified to transport hazardous items. The FMCSA rule requires that
states collect fingerprints from individuals applying for, renewing, upgrading,
or transferring a hazmat endorsement for a commercial driver’s license. The
date for states to begin complying with this rule is now April 1, 2004. The
FMCSA rule also says that states may request an extension of that compliance
date to not later than Dec.1, 2004. The FMCSA interim final rule is available
at http://dms.dot.gov/ by searching for Docket
No. FMCSA-2001-11117. There is a link to TSA’s interim final rule at
http://www.tsa.gov/. Contact: Andy Beck:
(202) 366-8810.
World War II Ship Leaves James River Fleet for SINKEX Program. The seventh ship
to leave the James River Fleet since the beginning of October, the attack
transport ship Gage, was towed from Newport News, VA on Nov. 7 to be sunk at sea
by the U.S. Navy. The Navy will tow the vessel and environmentally prepare it
for deep-water Naval Fleet Sink Exercises, or SINKEX. The James River Reserve
Fleet is maintained by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), part of the U.S.
Department of Transportation. For the past 10 years, very few ships left the
fleet, but MARAD has recently developed an aggressive plan to remove
high-priority vessels. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta
credited the determination by the Bush administration and a long-awaited
appropriation from Congress for making it possible to move the ships out.
Contact: Robyn Boerstling: (202) 366-5807.
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