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REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE NORMAN Y. MINETA
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TRANSPORTATION INITITIATIVE NEWS CONFERENCE
WASHINGTON, D.C.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2003
1:00 PM
Thank you, Attorney General Ashcroft. It’s an honor to
join you here this afternoon. Our Departments are important partners in the
Bush Administration’s ongoing efforts to protect the health and safety of the
American people.
We are passionate about safety at the Department of Transportation. And that
means that we are passionate about making the infrastructure that supports our
national transportation network safer and more secure than it has ever been.
As the Attorney General just explained, the Hazardous Materials Transportation
Initiative will play a vital role in furthering homeland security. But the
reasons that we at the Department of Transportation are pleased to be full
partners in carrying out the Hazmat Initiative go beyond terrorist threats.
More than 800,000 shipments of hazardous materials move across the United States
in legitimate commerce daily. Many of these materials are part of our everyday
life. They can include batteries, even hairspray, oxygen tanks, the gasoline
that powers our cars, and the chemicals used in our medicines.
There is no reason for Americans to fear being injured by, or otherwise exposed
to Hazmat, as long as these materials are being transported safely.
And there are no shortcuts on safety.
At the Department of Transportation, we give no quarter to companies that
violate Hazmat safety standards and regulations. Their irresponsible actions
put our communities at risk and jeopardize the lives and health of the traveling
public, and, indeed, the public at large. They threaten the safety of our
pilots and truck drivers and freight handlers, and of our first responders, who
need to know what materials, and how much, they’re dealing with when responding
to transportation accidents and incidents.
The Department of Transportation has authority to proceed administratively
against violators of the hazardous material transportation laws, and we bring
many such actions every year.
But for those who refuse to accept that we are serious about compliance with
these laws – for those who are flagrant or willful violators – criminal
enforcement is sometimes the only way that we can ensure the safety of our
transportation system.
Accordingly, the Hazmat Initiative will provide an important backstop to our
administrative enforcement efforts.
On behalf of DOT, I would like to thank the many fine men and women at the
Department of Justice who are providing that backstop on a daily basis.
In the Emery case, the Department of Transportation worked shoulder to shoulder
with the Justice prosecutors to investigate and develop the case. Particular
credit must go to the Office of Inspector General and the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), and I congratulate Inspector General Kenneth Mead and FAA
Administrator Marion Blakey and their staffs on a job well done.
The Emery case is just one successful example of our combined efforts. You can
expect to see further vigorous enforcement actions against violators. And there
will be actions you may never hear about that help ensure compliance.
The Attorney General has spoken of the specific commitments that the Department
of Justice has made in support of this Initiative. These commitments complement
our efforts at the Department of Transportation.
DOT’s Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) has been tightening
regulations that provide the framework for safe and secure transport of
hazardous materials by ground, water, rail, and air.
To see that these critical regulations are followed, we have adopted a
three-pronged strategy of: (1) expanded education and training; (2) increased
vigilance through enhanced inspection; and (3) vigorous enforcement.
The FAA, for example, is reaching out to carriers and shippers with new
education and training programs to create awareness of the regulations and the
possible penalties for failure to comply. This outreach is combined with
aggressive inspections that let them know we are serious. By gathering and
analyzing data to guide its inspections, the FAA is able to spot and combat
dangerous trends before they become problems.
Hazmat is a top investigative priority of our Office of Inspector General, which
has conducted investigations with the Department of Justice that have included
illegal transport of Hazmat via airlines, trucks, rail, ships, and pipelines.
Taken together, these education and training, inspection, and enforcement
efforts – both at the administrative and the judicial level – make a real
difference to the safety and well-being of all Americans.
I thank you, Mr. Attorney General, and I look forward to continuing to work in
partnership with the Department of Justice on this important Initiative.
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