A. The Legislature finds:

1. That the volume of hazardous and nonhazardous materials transported by motor carriers within this state is substantial and the need exists to improve the enforcement of safety related aspects of motor carrier transportation for both interstate and intrastate motor carriers which is consistent with federal standards and regulations.

2. That hazardous materials are essential for various industrial, commercial, and other purposes, that their transportation is a necessary incident to their use, and that the transportation is required for the economic prosperity of the people of the State of Oklahoma.

3. That the highway movement of hazardous and nonhazardous materials poses a substantial danger to the health and safety of the citizens of this state unless such materials are handled and transported in a safe and prudent manner.

4. That it is in the public interest and within the police power of the state to provide for the regulation of the safety related aspects of motor carrier transportation and the handling and transportation of hazardous materials.

B. It is therefore declared to be the policy of the State of Oklahoma to provide regulatory and enforcement authority to the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety to improve safety related aspects of motor carrier transportation and to protect the people against the risk to life and property inherent in the transportation of property, including hazardous materials, over highways and the handling and storage incidental thereto, by keeping such risk to a minimum consistent with technical feasibility and economic reasonableness and to provide uniform regulation of intrastate transportation of property, including hazardous materials, consistent with federal regulation of interstate transportation.

C. It is not the intent of the Legislature to regulate the movement of hazardous materials in such quantities that would not pose a substantial danger to the public health and safety, and the Department may provide for exemptions as provided for in federal regulations for farm use, and other appropriate exemptions consistent with federal regulations.

Added by Laws 1986, c. 80, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 1986.