WASHINGTON -- The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), a division of the DOT, is proposing to increase the registration and fee assessment program for hazmat transporters by as much as $2,000.

Carriers, including Canadian companies that haul certain categories and quantities of hazardous materials, could see the annual fee rise to $2,975 (plus a $25 administrative fee) from $975 for registration years beginning in 2010-2011.

Small businesses, as defined by the PHMSA, and non-profit transporters (which make up 83 percent of the 40,000 registrants) would not experience any increases under the current proposal.

"Raising the registration fee only for other-than-small businesses rather than for all businesses correlates the fee structure to the level of risk associated with shipments offered for transportation and transported by larger companies," the agency says in its notice of proposed rulemaking.

The fee increase would go towards funding the national Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) grants program. HMEP provides financial and technical assistance to develop state-wide emergency plans and train emergency response employees to respond to accidents involving hazardous materials.

The agency says it will accept a single registration statement valid for up three years.

Public comments on the proposal need to be received by March 4, 2010.