Vehicles: transportation of hazardous materials.

Existing law requires a carrier, prior to the transport of certain hazardous materials, to provide advance notification, in writing, to the Department of the California Highway Patrol, as specified. Under existing law, the department is then required to notify the sheriff of each county and police chief of each city through which the hazardous materials are to be transported. Those sheriffs and police chiefs, in turn, are required to make timely notification to the fire chiefs within their respective jurisdictions through a mutually agreed upon communications system. Existing law also requires a carrier to notify the department, by telephone or telegram, if there are any changes in the scheduling of the shipments described above, in the routes to be used for those shipments, or any cancellation of those shipments. A carrier who violates these provisions, in addition to any other penalty provided by law, is subject to a civil penalty of not less than $500 or more than $1,000 for each violation. This bill would additionally authorize a carrier to notify the department by electronic communication if there are any changes in the scheduling of the shipments described above, in the routes to be used for those shipments, or any cancellation of those shipments. The bill would define "electronic communication" to mean email or telegram.