BALTIMORE (February 8, 1999) - Sharing a common concern about truck safety and environmental and public nuisance issues that result from the transportation of waste, Maryland has joined New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. in conducting an interstate "Trashnet" beginning today through February 10 to crack down on illegal and unsafe waste vehicles. The Trashnet will involve several inspection locations throughout all of the participating states, where trucks hauling waste will be stopped and checked for compliance with motor carrier safety and environmental laws.

Officials from the Maryland State Police, Maryland Department of the Environment, and Maryland Department of Transportation and local police departments will conduct the inspections in Maryland. "This is the first interstate effort to ensure that truck safety, environmental and public nuisance issues associated with the transportation of waste are being addressed," said MDE Secretary Jane T. Nishida. "This effort is a direct follow up to Governor Glendening's Solid Waste Management Task Force's recommendations." Officials from participating states have met over the past several months to share information on municipal waste management issues, including the interstate transportation of municipal waste. A concern shared by all of them is truck safety, as are environmental and public nuisance issues that result from the transportation of waste. Previous routine truck inspections have found that a disproportionate number of waste hauling vehicles are overweight, have numerous safety violations, have significant driver violations and cause damage to local highways that are not designed to accommodate these vehicles.

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