RE “TRUCKING of risky material resuming’’ (Page A1, May 13) and “Hazmat truck ban extended in Boston’’ (Metro, May 19), about our efforts to restrict the trucking of hazardous materials into the city: I’d like to clarify that the city and state were given six months, not four years, to go through the federal process.
During the Big Dig, part of the hazmat route was moved to Commercial Street. This was to be temporary, as this residential street houses a park, ballfield, swimming pool, skating rink, and US Coast Guard base. In 2006 we moved that portion of the route to Cross Street. We also prohibited vehicles from cutting through without a Boston destination on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
We were led to believe that Cross Street, near the pre-Big Dig alignment, would not be subject to the federal hazmat transport approval process. Three years later, in November 2009, the federal government ordered us to revert to the pre-2006 hazmat procedures or undertake the full federal process. Completing the process requires 18 months; we were given six months with assurance that an extension would be available if needed. Yet our extension request was denied.
We’ve accepted the federal government’s 45-day extension offer, and procedures in place from 2006 to 2010 are again effective. We will continue to work to resolve this critical public safety issue.
Thomas J. Tinlin
Commissioner
Boston Transportation Department 
