[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 115 (Thursday, June 17, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32306-32308]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-12805]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration


National Hazardous Materials Route Registry

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Department 
of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice; revisions to the listing of designated and restricted 
routes for hazardous materials.

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SUMMARY: This notice provides revisions to the National Hazardous 
Materials Route Registry (NHMRR) reported to the FMCSA from April 1, 
2020 through March 31, 2021. The NHMRR is a listing, as reported by 
States and Tribal governments, of all designated and restricted roads 
and preferred highway routes for transportation of highway route 
controlled quantities of Class 7 radioactive materials (HRCQ/RAM) and 
non-radioactive hazardous materials (NRHM).

DATES: June 17, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Melissa Williams, Hazardous 
Materials Division, Office of Enforcement and Compliance, FMCSA, 1200 
New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-4163, 
[email protected]. Office hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., ET., 
Monday through Friday, except for Federal holidays.

Legal Basis and Background

    Paragraphs (a)(2) and (b) of section 5112 of title 49 United States 
Code (U.S.C.) permit States and Tribal governments to designate and 
limit highway routes over which hazardous materials (HM) may be 
transported, provided the State or Tribal government complies with 
standards prescribed by the Secretary of Transportation (the Secretary) 
and meets publication requirements in section 5112(c). To establish 
standards under paragraph (b), the Secretary must consult with the 
States, and, under section 5112(c), coordinate with the States to 
``update and publish periodically'' a list of currently effective HM 
highway routing designations and restrictions. The requirements that 
States and Tribal governments must follow to establish, maintain, or 
enforce routing designations for the transport of placardable 
quantities of NRHM are set forth in 49 CFR part 397, subpart C. Subpart 
D of part 397 sets out the requirements for designating preferred 
routes for highway route controlled quantities of HRCQ/RAM shipments as 
an alternative, or in addition, to Interstate System highways. For 
HRCQ/RAM shipments, Sec.  397.101 defines a preferred route as an 
Interstate Highway for which no alternative route is designated by the 
State; a route specifically designated by the State; or both. (See 
Sec.  397.65 for the definitions of NRHM and routing designations.)
    Under a delegation from the Secretary,\1\ FMCSA has authority to 
implement 49 U.S.C. 5112.
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    \1\ 49 CFR 1.87(d)(2).
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    Currently, Sec.  397.73 establishes public information and 
reporting requirements for NRHM. States or Tribal governments are 
required to furnish information regarding any new or changed routes to 
FMCSA within 60 days after establishment. Under Sec.  397.103, a State 
routing designation for HRCQ/RAM routes (preferred routes) as an 
alternative, or in addition, to an Interstate System highway, is 
effective when the authorized routing agency provides FMCSA with 
written notification, FMCSA acknowledges receipt in writing, and the 
route is published in FMCSA's NHMRR. The Office of Management and 
Budget has approved these collections of information under control 
number 2126-0014, Transportation of Hazardous Materials, Highway 
Routing.

[[Page 32307]]

    In this notice, FMCSA is merely performing the ministerial function 
of updating and publishing the NHMRR based on input from its State and 
Tribal partners under 49 U.S.C. 5112(c)(1). Accordingly, this notice 
serves only to provide the most recent revisions to the NHMRR; it does 
not establish any new public information and reporting requirements.

Updates to the NHMRR

    FMCSA published the full NHMRR in a Federal Register notice on 
April 29, 2015 (80 FR 23859). Since publication of the 2015 notice, 
FMCSA published four updates to the NHMRR in Federal Register notices 
on August 8, 2016 (81 FR 52518), August 9, 2018 (83 FR 39500), 
September 24, 2019 (84 FR 50098), and June 3, 2020 (85 FR 34284).
    This notice provides revisions to the NHMRR, reported to FMCSA from 
April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021. The revisions to the NHMRR 
listings in this notice supersede and replace corresponding NHMRR 
listings published in the April 29, 2015 notice and corresponding 
revisions to the NHMRR listings published in the August 8, 2016, August 
9, 2018, September 24, 2019, and June 3, 2020 notices. Continue to 
refer to the April 29, 2015 notice for additional background on the 
NHMRR and the August 8, 2016 notice for the procedures for State and 
Tribal government routing agencies to update their Route Registry 
listings and contact information.
    The full current NHMRR for each State is posted on the FMCSA's 
website at: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hazardous-materials/national-hazardous-materials-route-registry.

Revisions to the NHMRR in This Notice

    In accordance with the requirements of Sec. Sec.  397.73 and 
397.103, the NHMRR is being revised as follows:

Table 2--California--Designated NRHM Routes

    Route Order Designator ``A3A-3.0'' with ``I'' designation is 
removed.

Table 3--Iowa--Designated NRHM Routes

    Route Order Designator ``A1'' is revised to rename I-680 to I-880.
    Route Order Designator ``A2A'' is revised to rename I-680 to I-880.
    Route Order Designator ``A2B'' is revised to rename I-680 to I-880.
    Route Order Designator ``A3B'' is revised to rename I-680 to I-880.
    Route Order Designator ``A3B-2.0'' is revised to rename I-680 to I-
880.
    Route Order Designator ``A3B-3.0'' is revised to rename I-680 to I-
880.
    Route Order Designator ``A4B-1.0'' is revised to rename I-680 to I-
880.

Route Order Key

    Each listing in the NHMRR includes codes to identify each route 
designation and each route restriction reported by the State. 
Designation codes identify the routes along which a driver may or must 
transport specified HM. Among the designation codes is one for 
preferred routes, which apply to the transportation of a highway route 
controlled quantity of Class 7 (radioactive) material. Restriction 
codes identify the routes along which a driver may not transport 
specified HM shipments. Table 1 presents information on each 
restriction and designation code.

                  Table 1--Restriction/Designation Key
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                Restrictions                         Designations
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0--ALL Hazardous Materials.................  A--ALL NRHM Hazardous
1--Class 1--Explosives.....................   Materials.
2--Class 2--Gas............................  B--Class 1--Explosives.
3--Class 3--Flammable......................  I--Poisonous Inhalation
4--Class 4--Flammable Solid/Combustible....   Hazard (PIH).
5--Class 5--Organic........................  P--*Preferred Route* Class
                                              7--Radioactive.
6--Class 6--Poison.........................
7--Class 7--Radioactive....................
8--Class 8--Corrosives.....................
9--Class 9--Dangerous (Other)..............
i--Poisonous Inhalation Hazard (PIH).......
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Revisions to the National Hazardous Materials Route Registry (March 31, 
2021)

                                Table 2--California/Iowa--Designated NRHM Routes
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                                                                                  Designation(s)     FMCSA QA
     Designation date             Route order             Route description         (A,B, I,P)        comment
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04/16/92.................  A3A-3.0.................  Interstate 8 from Arizona
                                                      to Interstate 805 [San
                                                      Diego].
07/18/88.................  A1......................  Interstate 880 from                      P
                                                      Nebraska to Interstate 80
                                                      [Use I-880 and I-80 in
                                                      lieu of I-29 in the
                                                      Council Bluffs area when
                                                      heading north/south per
                                                      49 CFR 397.103(b). Use I-
                                                      880 in lieu of I-80 in
                                                      the Council Bluffs area
                                                      when heading east/west
                                                      per IA-NE coordination].
07/18/88.................  A2A.....................  Interstate 29 from                       P
                                                      Missouri to Interstate 80
                                                      [I-80 and I-880 are used
                                                      in lieu of I-29 in the
                                                      Council Bluffs area when
                                                      heading North/South per
                                                      49 CFR 397.103(b)].
07/18/88.................  A2B.....................  Interstate 80 from                       P
                                                      Interstate 29 to Illinois
                                                      [Use I-280 or I-80 in the
                                                      Quad Cities. Use I-80 in
                                                      lieu of I-235 in the Des
                                                      Moines area. Use I-880 in
                                                      lieu of I-80 in the
                                                      Council Bluffs area per
                                                      IA-NE coordination when
                                                      heading east/west. Use I-
                                                      80 and I-880 in the
                                                      Council Bluffs area in
                                                      lieu of I-29 when heading
                                                      north/south].

[[Page 32308]]

 
07/18/88.................  A3A-1.0.................  Interstate 880 from                      P
                                                      Interstate 80 to
                                                      Interstate 29 [Used in
                                                      lieu of I-29 in the
                                                      Council Bluffs area per
                                                      49 CFR 397.103(b)].
07/18/88.................  A3B-2.0.................  Interstate 35 from                       P
                                                      Minnesota to Missouri
                                                      [Stay on I-35/I-80 in
                                                      lieu of I-235 in the Des
                                                      Moines area per 49 CFR
                                                      397.103(b)].
07/18/88.................  A3B-3.0.................  Interstate 280 from                      P
                                                      Interstate 80 to Illinois
                                                      [Use I-280 or I-80 in the
                                                      Quad Cities area.].
07/18/88.................  A4B-1.0.................  Interstate 29 from                       P
                                                      Nebraska to Interstate
                                                      880 [I-80 and I-880 are
                                                      used in lieu of I-29 in
                                                      the Council Bluffs area
                                                      when heading North/South
                                                      per 49 CFR 397.103(b)].
                                                     End of Revisions to the
                                                      National Hazardous
                                                      Materials Route Registry.
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Meera Joshi,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2021-12805 Filed 6-16-21; 8:45 am]
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