The Chlorine Institute, Inc. v. California Highway Patrol

29 F.3d 495 39 ERC 1282 , 24 Envtl. L. Rep. 21 ,273 The CHLORINE INSTITUTE, INC.; DX Systems Company; General Chemicals Corp.; Jones Chemicals, Inc., Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL, an agency of the State of California; State of California, Defendants-Appellants. No. 92-16858. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Argued and Submitted Feb. 11, 1994. Decided July 11, 1994. Henry G. Ullerich, Interim Asst. Atty. Gen., Los Angeles, CA, for defendants-appellants. Paul M. Donovan, LaRoe, Winn, Moerman & Donovan, Washington, DC, for plaintiffs-appellees. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. Before: HUG, FARRIS, and O'SCANNLAIN, Circuit Judges. Opinion by Judge HUG; concurrence by Judge O'SCANNLAIN. HUG, Circuit Judge: BACKGROUND 1 In 1975, Congress enacted the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, 49 U.S.C. app. Sec. 1801, et seq. ("HMTA") "to replace a patchwork of state and federal laws and regulations" concerning the transportation of hazardous materials, "with a scheme of uniform, national regulations." Southern Pac. Transp. v. Public Serv. Comm'n of Nev., 909 F.2d 352, 353 (9th Cir.1990). Pursuant to…