Nashville, Tennessee --- The Tennessee Department of Safety, along with numerous state, federal and local agencies, will conduct a first-ever 24-hour operation designed to observe and inspect vehicles transporting hazardous materials and other potentially dangerous commodities on state highways. Last year, a similar eight-hour event in 17 sites across the state helped earn Tennessee national recognition for leadership from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol will conduct Operation United S.T.O.P. (Strategic Transportation Observation & Prevention) on Thursday, May 3, from 7:00am until Friday, May 4, at 7:00am local time. During Operation United S.T.O.P., eight simultaneous Homeland Security Hazardous Materials Checkpoints will be held in locations across the state. These checkpoints will focus on trucks that carry hazardous materials and overseas containers, as well as on rental trucks.

The goal of Operation United S.T.O.P. is to be pro-active in deterring a terrorist event by conducting random truck inspections across the state. Federal authorities called last October’s event the largest simultaneous inspection operation of its kind ever conducted by one state.

Thursday’s checkpoints will be held at the following locations:

District One – Knoxville

I-40 Knox Weight Station—Westbound MM 372 Sgt. Scott Shaver 865-966-1910

District Two - Chattanooga

Monteagle Mountain Brake Check Area – I-24 Eastbound MM 135.5 Sgt. John Harmon 423-290-7375
I-24 Coffee County Weigh Station—Westbound MM 115 Lt. Johnny McBee 931-723-5062
Sgt. Steve Moore 931-723-5062

District Three – Nashville

I-65 Robertson County Weigh Station-Southbound MM 119 Lt. Connell Garrett 615-325-7373/615-714-0552
I-65 Robertson County Weigh Station-Northbound MM 119

District Four – Memphis

I-40 Haywood County Weigh Station-Eastbound MM 50 Sgt. Ken Sutton 731-225-7214/731-772-0812

District Five – Fall Branch

I-81 Greene County Weigh Station—Southbound MM 21 Lt. James McKenzie 423-235-4104

District One Seven – Maury County

I-65 Maury Rest Area--Northbound MM 48 Capt. Steven Hazard 931-766-1432/931-239-8507

Several state and federal agencies are assisting with the checkpoints, including the federal and state Department of Homeland Security, TEMA, TBI, FBI, ATF, TDOT, TDEC, the Bomb and Arson Squad of the Department of Commerce and Insurance, the Tennessee National Guard, THP Special Operations Aviation and K-9 Explosive Dogs and the THP Criminal Investigation Division, along with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Transportation Safety Administration, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and several local police agencies. Nuclear detection devices will be utilized by multiple agencies, including RAD Health.

This information is embargoed until 7:00 AM EDT, May 3, 2007.

The Tennessee Department of Safety's mission is (www.tn.gov/safety) to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.