The California Highway Patrol has suspended the hazardous-materials transportation license of the owner of the gasoline tanker truck that overturned and ignited a fire that resulted in the collapse of the Interstate 580 connector from Eastbound I-80.
This is the first time a CHP commissioner has suspended a hazardous waste license since that authority was given to a commissioner in 1992, said CHP spokeswoman Fran Clader.
On April 29, James Mosqueda of Woodland was the driver of a truck for Sabek Transportation of South San Francisco. His accident resulted in the destruction of what locals call the MacArthur Maze. No charges have been filed against the driver; the investigation is ongoing.
Sabek has requested a hearing and a continuance on the hearing date, Clader said. Corporate officials did not return a phone call requesting comment.
CHP did an inspection of the company’s locations April 30. Thirty-six violations were found at the company’s King City office, including unsafe equipment and hazardous waste violations, which resulted in the patrol giving that terminal an unsatisfactory rating.
The agency found 18 and 11 violations, respectively, at the company’s San Jose and Salinas terminals and rated them unsatisfactory. Thirteen and 11 violations were discovered at the company’s Dixon and Martinez locations, and CHP rated the operations satisfactory.
Carriers can be rated satisfactory, unsatisfactory or conditional. An unsatisfactory rating is based on the seriousness of the violations more than the number of them, Clader said.
