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<br />The transport of hazardous materials through densely populated areas presents potential
<br />dangers and unintended consequences to a community. These dangers can pose significant
<br />riskunless the community is prepared for action. Limiting public exposure, planning proper
<br />emergency response, implementing containment methods, and organizing clean up after an
<br />unfortunate event involving hazardous materials is crucial to minimizing these risks.
<br />In an effort to reduce the risk of exposure to hazardous materials resulting from a crash
<br />involving trucks carrying Non -radioactive Hazardous Materials (NRHM), the US Department of
<br />Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) implemented regulations in 1985 that
<br />limit the through -routing movement of commercial vehicles carrying non -radioactive materials
<br />classified as hazardous, such as petrochemicals, gases, and corrosive substances, to designated
<br />highways or routes. The regulation requires each state to designate NRHM routes within their
<br />jurisdictions. In Texas, the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) delegates the
<br />authority to complete the FHWA prescribed process of designating specific highways as
<br />NRHM routes to local municipalities who also have the legal authority to enforce the use of
<br />these routes through municipal ordinances.
<br />Therefore, the City of San Marcos, Texas (City), proposes a NRHM route designation along Farm to
<br />Market (FM) 110 and Ranch Road (RR) 12 for all trucks carrying hazardous materials through its
<br />city limits (Attachment 1, Figure 1). The purpose of this report is to summarize the steps taken
<br />in consideration of this proposal and to justify the designation of the local NRHM route.
<br />Hazardous material means a substance or material that the Secretary of Transportation has
<br />determined can pose an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported
<br />in commerce, and has been designated as hazardous under Federal hazardous materials
<br />transportation law (49 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR], Subtitle III, Chapter 51, Section 5103)
<br />including an explosive, radioactive material, infectious substance, flammable, or combustible
<br />liquid, solid, or gas, toxic, oxidizing, or corrosive material, and compressed gas. The term includes
<br />hazardous substances, hazardous wastes, marine pollutants, elevated temperature materials,
<br />materials designated as hazardous in the Hazardous Materials Table (49 CFR, Subtitle B,
<br />Chpt. 1, Subchpt. A, Part 172.101, pages 132-300), and materials that meet the defining criteria
<br />for hazard classes and divisions in part (49 CFR, Subtitle B, Chpt. 1, Subchpt. A, Part 173.2). If
<br />these substances are released or misused, they can cause death, severe injury, long lasting
<br />health effects, or damage to structures and other properties as well as to the environment.
<br />Hazardous materials sites are those sites required under Occupational Safety and Health
<br />Administration (OSHA) regulations to maintain material safety data sheets (MSDSs) for
<br />hazardous chemicals stored or used in the workplace and must submit a Tier II report to the
<br />Texas Department of Health and Human Services.
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