# EHS Associates, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 05-0190  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2005-10-27

05-0190 response to EHS Associates, Inc. concerning 173.306.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

.S. Depanmen
f Transportatio
OCT 27 2005
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590
Pipeline and
Administration
Hazardous Materials Safety
Mr. Daniel J. Young
Ref. No.: 05-0190
President
EHS Associates, Inc.
3301 Bentwillow Drive
Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526
Dear Mr. Young:
This is in response to your August 1, 2005 letter requesting further clarification of the
Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to consumer
commodities. Specifically, you ask whether small gas cylinders of carbon dioxide that
are used for powering industrial tools may be renamed "Consumer commodity," and
reclassed as "ORM-D material." You state your cylinders could be sold at the retail level
with a slight change in the design of the outlet valve on the cylinders.
paragraph (a)(1), (a)(3), or (b) of this section and is a "Consumer commodity" as defined
As specified in § 173.306(h), a limited quantity of compressed gas which conforms to
in § 171.8 of the HMR, may be renamed "Consumer commodity" and reclassed as
"ORM-D material." Section 171.8 of the HMR defines a "Consurner commodity" as a
material that is packaged and distributed in a form intended or suitable for sale through
retail sales agencies or instrumentalities for consumption by individuals for purposes of
personal care or household use. Your material as described in your letter is not packaged
and distributed in such a manner. Therefore, you may not rename your material as a
"Consumer commodity" or reclass it as "ORM-D material."
I hope this information is helpful.
Sincerely,
Susan Gorsky
Acting Director
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
173.306 (h)
050190

<<<PAGE 2>>>

•
EHS ASSOCIATES, INC.
3301 Bentwillow Drive, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526 (919) 552-6978
Foster
$173.306(h)
August 1, 2005
Cylinders
Mr. Edward T. Mazzullo
05-0180
Director, Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
U.S. DOT/PHMSA (PHH-10)
400 7" Street S.W.
Washington, DC 20590-001
Dear Mr. Mazzullo:
I represent a client who currently ships small cylinders of carbon dioxide using the
shipping description "Carbon dioxide, 2.2, UN 1017." The small gas cylinders are used
for powering industrial tools but are similar to cartridges used for powering paint ball and
other air guns. The cylinders come in a small box of ten, and there are approximately 16
grams of carbon dioxide in each cylinder. Although these cylinders are not sold to or
used by the general public, the cylinders are similar to those used by the general public
for air guns and similar devices. The cylinders could be sold at the retail level if there
was a slight change in the design of the outlet valve on the cylinders.
My client would like to reclassify the carbon dioxide cylinders as ORM-D materials and
rename them as consumer commodities. Although I believe that these cylinders meet the
criteria for reclassification in 49 CFR 173.306(h), I would like you to provide me with a
written verification that these carbon dioxide cylinders could be reclassified and
transported by ground and by air as ORM-D consumer commodities under the hazardous
materials regulations.
Please contact me at (919) 552-6878 if you need further information about this request.
Thank you for your assistance with this question.
Sincerely,
Daniel J. Young
President

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2005/050190.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `31e33e8d4bbbdfb5f68eea531e9ba66fbe96c1d564544468adae63e0a56d968e`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T19:16:42.978Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-05-0190`

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