Two new Wisconsin laws are touted to help reduce the number of trucks on roadways by permitting certain heavier truckloads.
Pig iron
Gov. Tony Evers signed into law a bill that covers permits for overweight transport of pig iron.
Previously SB363, the new law creates a definition for metallic or nonmetallic scrap that is identical to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s definition for recyclable scrap. The new definition explicitly includes pig iron.
Sen. Joan Ballweg, R-Markesan, described pig iron as a raw material to support the utilization of scrap iron and steel to create new iron and steel products.
She told a Senate committee the rule would allow pig iron to be transported by trucks using the state DOT’s garbage, refuse and recyclable scrap permit. The permit allows trucks to carry overweight loads.
Ballweg told the Senate Transportation Committee the rule change is necessary because foundries in the state previously were able to transport pig iron under the aforementioned permit, but WisDOT began enforcing their interpretation that pig iron could not be transported using this permit.
She said the changes in SB363 allow the metalcasting industry and its carriers to continue transporting pig iron at the weight levels they did previously. She added that as a result, fewer trucks will be on the road and transportation costs will be reduced.
The Waupaca Foundry in Waupaca, Wis., estimated the rule change will reduce roughly 300 truckloads and offset rising logistics costs to transport the pig iron from a holding site in La Crosse, Wis., to its four Wisconsin foundries.
The new law includes a provision to ensure federal funding is unaffected. Specifically, the heavier truckloads permit does not apply on highways designated as part of the national system of interstate and defense highways.
Not all information about the rule change was glowing.
According to a fiscal analysis attached to the bill, the state DOT assumes that an increase in heavy truck traffic would lead to “increased degradation of the pavement and structures.” The agency reported costs associated with maintenance and repairs resulting from heavier truck loads cannot be adequately estimated.
Milk haulers
Evers signed into law another bill about the transportation of fluid milk products, including whey.
SB431 raised dairy hauling capacity on the state’s roads. Specifically, WisDOT is authorized to issue annual or consecutive month permits for truck loads hauling fluid milk products between processing facilities in vehicle combinations that exceed general highway weight limitations. Permits are authorized to operate affected vehicles up to 98,000 pounds over six axles.
The state DOT is prohibited from imposing different conditions for these permits for different fluid milk products. The new law defines fluid milk products as raw milk and liquid milk products and byproducts, including liquid whey and whey byproducts.
Ballweg said during committee discussion on her bill that “whey has long been used as an animal feed and fertilizer, but today, the bulk of whey is further processed for sale as protein powder and other value-added dairy ingredients.”
She added that the change in state law allows Wisconsin’s dairy industry to compete against other states that permit heavier truck loads for dairy products.
The bill’s fiscal note shared the assessment of SB363. Additionally, WisDOT analysis stated that without a definition of what may be considered as “milk products,” the agency was not able to estimate the types of commodities that might be transported and could not account for the number of all load types that may be impacted. LL
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