VICTORIA — In a move to “better regulate the movement of explosives and flammable commodities” through tunnels in the Lower Mainland, B.C.’s ministry of transport has tabled a proposal to restrict placardable dangerous goods from tunnels, including the George Massey and Cassiar Connector tunnels.

“Because of the age of some tunnels, space restrictions and the inability to install modern fire suppression equipment in older tunnels, trucks carrying dangerous goods, particularly aviation fuel, should be using alternate routes,” Tranport Minister Kevin Falcon wrote in an email response to TodaysTrucking.com

“The changes my ministry has proposed for the Tunnel Transportation of Dangerous Commodities Regulation will increase safety for drivers and residents of the Lower Mainland,” he stated.

BC is concerned old tunnels are safety hazards
with TDG trucks rolling through

Currently, the regulations specify dangerous goods items that can be transported through the Massey tunnel depending on the flashpoint, amount and container size.

The B.C. Trucking Association says both industry and enforcement officials have experienced confusion about these exceptions over the years. The proposed change, says BCTA, provides more clarity by simply stating that any cargo requiring a TDG placard would be prohibited from being transported through a tunnel.

BCTA acknowledges a crash or spill is currently a concern since the Massey Tunnel’s construction pre-dates newer standards governing lane width, evacuation of potentially dangerous fumes, and access by emergency vehicles.

BCTA says it has asked the Ministry to consider whether a route- and vehicle-specific permit to bypass the Nordel Weigh scale when empty could be developed and made available to those carriers affected by this proposed change.

“The rationale is … that already-identified carriers would required to take a more circuitous route in order to avoid the tunnel. These carriers make this trip several times per day on a scheduled basis and would be delayed by having to pull in and be inspected at Nordel,” states BCTA.