The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration made its ruling Nov. 16 in response to requests for a ruling from the American Trucking Associations and the Massachusetts Department of Highways. Enforcement was delayed until now to allow time for Boston officials to comply with federal requirements.
Federal law preempts certain highway routing requirements Boston instituted in 2006 because the city failed to comply with FMCSA’s standards for establishing or modifying a hazmat route, the agency said. Boston instituted the ban because of the change in administration of the city’s hazmat permitting system.
The revisions at issue were implemented in the building of the Big Dig, or the Central Artery Tunnel, which moved underground a portion of Interstate 93 through Boston.
