The Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (HMTA)

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has the authority to regulate the handling and interstate transportation of hazardous materials. More specifically, DOT’s Office of Hazardous Materials Transportation (OHMT) issues regulations dealing with the shipping and packaging of hazardous materials, including how they are classified and labeled (both nationally and internationally). While the law enables DOT to regulate any traffic that “affects” interstate or foreign commerce, the agency has chosen to regulate only shipments of carriers engaged in interstate commerce, leaving the States themselves to regulate shipments by carriers that do not cross State lines.