If Tanker Is In Ditch, Give It Lots Of Leeway

Emergency crews in the Valley always keep a pair of binoculars handy.

They can use them, says Valley Fire assistant chief Karl Bold, if they come upon a truck wreck and want to see what, if any, hazardous materials it contains.

Binoculars let them read identification numbers and symbols on the trucks from a safe distance. Once they have the material identified, they can respond accordingly, Bold says.

As an emergency responder, Bold says he’s most concerned about poisonous gases, such as chlorine.

With gasoline spills and fires, it’s a serious problem but it’s possible to confine it to a location and control the perimeter. With poisonous substances, “it can be a far-reaching thing,” he says.

“A lot of people are going to get contaminated if you have a cloud drifting downwind. You have to evacuate.”

Although railroad tanker mishaps are on the decline, truck accidents have been increasing nationally, Bold says.

“If you think about it, there’s so much of it out there…. I don’t know why, but we really haven’t had any big problems,” he said. “We’ve been pretty lucky.”

The hazardous material Robert Gordon worries most about on the highway is gasoline hauled in substandard tanks.

Gordon, a hazardous materials specialist with the U.S. Department of Transportation, says it’s not the big commercial haulers that are a problem, but the contractors and farmers who have tanks in the back of their small trucks.

“Gasoline is the most common product. It’s about 70 percent of bulk loads. And that’s been the highest risk area,” he says.

Regulations in the last 15 years have sharply reduced problems with bulk tankers, he says, but small tanks built before those regulations may be substandard, he says. The small trucks don’t always have placards and the drivers may not be properly licensed.

“People are not aware of gasoline hazards,” he says. “Quite often the package is not built right to haul gasoline.”

The Washington State Patrol inspects commercial vehicles to make sure they comply with safety regulations. In the past year, inspectors checked nearly 5,000 vehicles hauling hazardous materials, and found 985 with violations serious enough to require the vehicle be taken out of service until the problem was corrected.

“Out of service” is strictly interpreted, meaning that a truck cannot get back on the highway until it’s fixed. If that means having a mechanic come out and do the work, that’s what must be done. There may or may not be fines levied for these violations.

Here’s a list of violations most often found in Washington state in the past year:

Brake adjustment required: 256

Brake repairs required: 229

Improper placard or marking: 159

Shipping papers required: 142

Log violations: 117

Brake lamps required: 90

Suspension problems: 83

No commercial drivers license: 72

You can look it up

If you’re curious about what’s inside a particular tanker or truck, read the four-digit number on the diamond-shaped placard. For a translation of this number, go to Section 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, available at the downtown library. Look under part 172 for both a numerical listing and an alphabetical listing by substance.

Don’t go it alone

There’s still time to help organizers of Rideshare Week meet their goal of having 7,700 commuters find alternatives to driving at least one day this week. Fifty-two employers in the area are offering promotions and prize drawings designed to encourage employees to try carpooling, vanpooling, riding the bus, riding their bicycle, walking or telecommuting as an alternative to driving to work alone.

, DataTimes MEMO: On Your Way is a Valley Voice column focusing on commuter lifestyles and issues. Your views on any of the topics discussed are invited. Please write: On Your Way, The Valley Voice, 13208 E. Sprague, Spokane, WA 99216. Or fax us at 459-5482.