Texas Register, Volume 22, Number 80, Pages 12189-12342, December 12, 1997 Page: 12,316
12189-12342 p. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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mailing address: P. O. Box 149030; Austin, Texas 78714-9030; street
address: 701 West 51st St. (Winters Bldg., Sixth Floor, East Tower,
Section D) Austin, Texas 78751; ph: (512) 438-4182; fax: (512)
438-3394.
Issued in Austin, Texas, on December 2, 1997.
TRD-9716128
C. Ed Davis
Deputy Commissioner for Legal Services
Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services
Filed: December 2, 1997
Texas Department of Public Safety
Extension of Submission Deadline-Qualified Information
Systems Contractor Offer Request
The Texas Department of Public Safety announces that it extends
the deadline for receipt of Request for Offers for the remote sensing
component of the State of Texas' vehicle emissions testing program
previously published in the September 19, 1997, issue of the Texas
Register (22 TexReg 9560). The deadline is extended from 5:00
p.m. CST on November 17, 1997 to no later than 5:00 p.m. CST on
Monday, January 5, 1998.
For further information please contact the Texas Department of Public
Safety, Vehicle Inspection and Emissions, P.O. Box 4087, Austin,
Texas 78773-0543, (512) 424-2770.
Issued in Austin, Texas, on November 18, 1997.
TRD-9716130
Dudley M. Thomas
Director
Texas Department of Public Safety
Filed: December 2, 1997
Hazardous Material Route Approval for Camino Colombia
Toll Road
Notice is hereby given of the approval of the Camino Colombia Toll
Road to be constructed in Webb County as a designated hazardous
material route for the transportation of non-radio-active hazardous
materials. The route was submitted for review by Camino Colombia
Inc. working in cooperation with the County of Webb. Notice is
also given of the approval of the restriction of transportation of non-
radioactive hazardous materials across International Bridges I and
II in Laredo, Texas. The restriction of these bridges was also the
subject of the proposal submitted by Camino Colombia Inc. The
designation of the toll road and the restriction of the bridges will
reduce the potential exposure of individuals to an accidental release
of hazardous materials transported across the border between Laredo,
Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
The Governor of Texas officially designated the Department of Public
Safety as the designated Hazardous Material Routing Agency for
the state on September 28, 1995. In this capacity, the department
must approve all Non-Radioactive Hazardous Material Routes, ensure
that political subdivisions follow the guidelines for establishing
hazardous material routes in the state as outlined in Title 49, Code
of Federal Regulations, Part 397, and resolve any disputes between
affected political subdivisions. The department has reviewed the route
proposal submitted by Camino Colombia Inc. and is approving the
proposal as submitted.The hazardous material route would consist of a 22-mile privately
funded toll road traversing a rural corridor through Webb County,
Texas. The toll road will connect with Interstate 35 11.2 miles north
of Laredo and with the Colombia-Solidarity International Bridge III
at its southern terminus. A diagram of the hazardous material route
can be obtained from Major Lester Mills, Texas Department of Public
Safety, P. O. Box 4087, Austin, Texas, 78773-0510, (512) 424-2116.
The department held a public hearing on January 21, 1997, in the
Central Jury Room of the Webb County Justice Center in Laredo
at which time citizens were given the opportunity to express their
opinion on the hazardous material route proposal. There were several
commentors that gave oral testimony at the hearing. The department
also accepted written comments that were received by the close of
business on January 21, 1997. Listed below is a summation of the
comments submitted and the department's response to the comments,
followed by the department's findings and conclusion.
Comment: One person commented that the proposed route has no
assurance of safety.
Response: The department disagrees with this assertion. The pro-
posed route would divert commercial vehicles transporting haz-
ardous materials away from the densely populated areas surround-
ing the downtown bridges to the sparsely populated area around the
Colombia-Solidarity Bridge. The toll road, while it is in the planning
stages, can be designed and constructed with sufficient safeguards to
ensure the safety of the motoring public. In fact, Camino Colombia
Inc. has related to the department that the primary reason for seeking
the designation at this time is to allow the company time to incorpo-
rate the safety features into the toll road design. These safety features
are expensive and will have a significant impact on the design and
cost of the toll road.
Comment: Several respondents asserted that there were alternative
routes that were shorter and equally acceptable for hazardous material
routing.
Response: The department agrees with the respondents that there
are other routes available that are equally acceptable for hazardous
material routing. However, those routes are within the city limits of
Laredo and are not the principle subject of this proposal.
The department discussed the impact of the toll road designation with
officials from the City of Laredo who in turn informed us of the City's
intent to submit a proposal to designate other routes for hazardous
materials transportation within the city. The City's proposal should
address the concerns of the respondents by providing additional routes
for hazardous material transportation.
Comment: Several comments alluded to the fact that there were al-
ready two bridges in existence that were adequate for the transporta-
tion of hazardous materials.
Response: There are two bridges in Laredo that are being used for
the transportation of hazardous materials. However, these bridges
cross the Rio Grande River between the cities of Laredo and Nuevo
Laredo into a very densely populated area. These bridges are
heavily congested which results in lengthy delays. The potential
risks associated with a hazardous materials spill are extremely high
due to the traffic congestion and traffic delays. In order to reduce
or eliminate the risks involved, the best alternative is to restrict the
movement of the hazardous materials across the downtown bridges.
The proposal submitted for the Camino Colombia toll road offers one
potential solution.
Comment: The Texas Motor Transportation Association (TMTA) pro-
vided comments indicating the association's understanding of the22 TexReg 12316 December 12, 1997 Texas Register
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Texas. Secretary of State. Texas Register, Volume 22, Number 80, Pages 12189-12342, December 12, 1997, periodical, December 12, 1997; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth176721/m1/131/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.