PHMSA Amends Hazardous Materials Shipping Rules
The Transportation Department's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration amended its Hazardous Materials Regulations to maintain alignment with international standards. The changes incorporate various amendments, including changes to proper shipping names, hazard classes, packing groups, special provisions, packaging authorizations, air transport quantity limitations, and vessel stowage requirements, according to a Federal Register notice scheduled for Jan. 7. PHMSA authorized voluntary compliance with the final rule beginning Jan. 1, 2013, with compliance required beginning Jan. 1, 2014.
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PHMSA said the revisions are necessary to harmonize the HMRs with recent changes made to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, the International Civil Aviation Organization's Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air, and the U.N. Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods -- Model Regulations. The new rules also address a petition for rulemaking.
PHMSA said harmonization facilitates international trade by minimizing the costs and other burdens of complying with multiple or inconsistent safety requirements for transportation of hazardous materials to and from the U.S. and becomes increasingly important as the volume of hazardous materials transported in international commerce grows. It also said that, by facilitating compliance, harmonization tends to enhance safety for international movements.
The proposed changes include:
Update references to international regulations including the ICAO Technical Instructions, International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, IMDG Code, U.N. Model Regulations, U.N. Manual of Tests and criteria, Canadian Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations, and various technical standards.
Add, revise or remove certain proper shipping names, hazard classes, packing groups, special provisions, packaging authorizations, bulk packaging requirements and passenger and cargo aircraft maximum quantity limits from the Hazardous Materials Table (HMT).
Adopt new HMT entries for chemicals under pressure and specify acceptable bulk and non-bulk packagings, filling limits and appropriate segregation requirements.
Adopt an exception for the transport of aircraft batteries aboard passenger aircraft in excess of the quantity limits specified in column 9A of the HMT.
Revise the vessel stowage provisions in column 10 of the Sec.172.101 HMT..
Make changes throughout Part 173 (packaging) requirements to: (1) authorize the use of wood as a material of package construction for certain explosives; (2) authorize the use of metals other than steel or aluminum for drums and boxes; (3) where appropriate, permit the use of non-removable head drums where removable head drums are otherwise authorized.
Adopt a new packaging definition, operational controls, performance-oriented standards and testing requirements for flexible bulk containers.
For further information contact Vincent Babich or Shane Kelley, 202-366-8553.