NPGA: More analysis needed into EV hazmat transportation risks

The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) submitted comments to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) regarding its request for feedback on Hazmat Transportation Risks: Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicles Versus Internal Combustion Engine Motor Carriers.

PHMSA seeks to understand the safety risks, operational challenges and regulatory considerations associated with transporting hazardous materials using heavy-duty electric vehicles (EVs) compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) motor carriers.

Currently, hazardous materials are transported by vehicles using internal combustion engines with operators who often have extensive training on hazardous materials response and handling, the association says. Therefore, heavy-duty EVs would have a significant effect on members’ safe handling of propane.

“The problem that we’ve identified and that our members have identified is, quite frankly, we simply don’t know what the safety situation is when it comes to a heavy-duty, hazardous-material-carrying truck using an EV battery system,” says Ben Nussdorf, general counsel and senior vice president, regulatory and industry affairs at NPGA.

NPGA says PHMSA’s request needs more study and analysis to ensure effective safety protocols and standards are being met prior to developing rules and regulations for the transportation of hazmat in heavy-duty EVs.

“Anytime we talk about safety, we want to make sure there is at least an equivalent level of safety to what is already on the books,” Nussdorf says. “We do not believe that such an equivalent level of safety exists currently or even could exist in the near future.”

NPGA’s five pages of comments include sections on hazmat packaging and containment risks, vehicle-specific safety and performance risks, infrastructure and charging considerations, regulatory compliance and standards, and emergency response and incident mitigation.

“What we are concerned about is that a mandate for EV trucks will be deployed and will be required without all of these necessary safety and engineering analyses having been done, peer reviewed and analyzed, because then we’re in a situation where we’re required to comply with those, but we don’t know that they’re going to be safer,” Nussdorf says. “And it’s a risk not just to the industry, and to our employees, but also to the general public.”

The Propane Gas Association of New England and Lin’s Propane Trucks also submitted comments on the issue.

PHMSA’s request for information was published in the Federal Register, at federalregister.gov.

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