MAINE SENATORS SUCCESSFUL IN INCLUDING WAIVER FOR TRUCK WEIGHT LIMITS IN DEFENSE BILL

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe have successfully included a waiver for truck weight limits on Interstate 95 in the 2002 Defense Authorization bill currently being considered in the United States Senate. Senator Collins introduced the waiver, which was co-sponsored by Senator Snowe, following a September 17 briefing in Augusta by General Joseph Tinkham, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Defense, Veterans, and Emergency Management.

During the briefing, General Tinkham explained that the routing of bulk shipments of jet fuel to the Maine Air National Guard in Bangor has Augusta and surrounding towns at an increased safety and security risk. Current restrictions cause the truck shipments to leave the Maine Turnpike at exit 30 in Augusta, proceed down Western Avenue, and through both rotaries onto Routes 9 and 202.

"In times of national crises, the efficiency of our interstate highway system is diminished by truck weight limitations that force trucks off the interstate system and onto state highways and local roads," said Senators Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. "Remarkably, the Secretary of Transportation lacks the authority to waive truck weight limitations to aid in the mobilization of our armed forces."

The provision the Senators offered grants the Secretary of Transportation the authority, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, to waive the application of vehicle weight limitations during a period of national emergency.

"We''re pleased that our colleagues have agreed to add this waiver to the Defense bill. Normally, six to eight truckloads of jet fuel are transported daily. With the current crisis at hand, we are seeing 15 to 20 truckloads – and that is likely to increase. The risk to small communities along secondary roads is too great. We need to keep these trucks rolling along a highway that''s better equipped to handle the load."