# Petroleum Transportation & Storage Association — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 07-0100  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2007-11-28

07-0100 response to Petroleum Transportation & Storage Association concerning 172.101.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. .Department
of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
NOV 2 8 2007
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
Mr. Mark Morgan, Esq.
Regulatory Counsel
Petroleum Transportation & Storage Association
4200 Wisconsin Avenue N W, Suite 106
Washington, DC 200 16
Ref. No. 07-0 100
Dear Mr. Morgan:
This responds to your May 8,2007 letter and subsequent emails requesting clarification
of information provided in a July 3 1,2006 letter (Ref. No. 06-01 22) to Mr. Michael
Ritchie of the Minnesota Department of Transportation regarding the appropriate proper
shipping names for biodiesel blends B2 and B20.
Mr. Ritchie indicated that the biodiesel blends B2 and B20 consist of diesel fuel mixed
with biodiesel at blending rates of 2% and 20% biodiesel, respectively. According to
Mr. Ritchie, the biodiesel blends have flash points meeting the criteria for Class 3
(flammable) liquids under the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts
171 -1 80). Mr. Ritchie asked about shipping names appropriate for these products. In our
July 3 1,2006 letter, we stated that the B2 and B20 diesellfuel oillbiodiesel blends must
be described with the proper shipping names "Diesel fuel solution, NA1993," "Diesel
fuel solution, UN-1202," "Fuel oil solution, NA 1993," or "Flammable liquid, n.0.s.
(diesel fuellfuel oil) L N 1993."
As indicated in our initial letter, a mixture or solution of a hazardous material identified
in the § 172.101 Hazardous Materials Table (HMT) by technical name and a non-
hazardous material must be described using the proper shipping name of the hazardous
material and the qualifying word "mixture" or "solution" unless otherwise excepted (see
172.101 ( 1 0)) It is our understanding that diesel fuellbiodiesel blends that contain
up to 5% biodiesel meet the criteria established in ASTM Standard D 975 for diesel fuel.
For this reason, we are revising our response concerning the appropriate proper shipping
name for biodiesel blend B2 - a shipper may use the proper shipping name "diesel fbel"
without the qualifying term "solution" for diesel fuellbiodiesel blends containing up to
5% biodiesel.

<<<PAGE 2>>>

The following chart shows the proper shipping names that may be used to describe the
above-referenced blends of diesel fuel and biodiesel:
I I Blend
B2
I Authorized Proper I
Components
I Shipping ~ a m k s
98% diesel fuel blended with 2% biodiesel
Diesel fuel, NA1993
1 1 I Diesel fuel, UN1202 1
( Gas oil, UN 1202
B20 1 80% diesel fuel blended with 20% biodiesel I Diesel fuel solution, NA 1993
I
Diesel fuel solution, UN 1202
Gas oil solution, UN 1202
Paragraphs (c)(4) and (c)(5) of section 172.336 provide an exception from UN
identification number marking requirements for liquid petroleum distillate fuels. In
accordance with this section, UN identification numbers are not required for each of the
liquid petroleum distillate fuels transported in cargo tanks or compartmented cargo tanks
provided the identification number is displayed for the distillate fuel having the lowest
flash point. In conversations subsequent to your letter, you asked whether the exception
from UN identification number marking requirements for liquid petroleum distillate fuels
may be utilized for diesel fuellbiodiesel blends. The answer is yes. Thus, for petroleum
distillate fuels, including diesel fuelhiodiesel blends, transported in cargo tanks or multi-
compartmented cargo tanks, you may mark the transport vehicle with the UN
identification number for the distillate fuel having the lowest flashpoint.
In addition to the above mentioned products, you asked about the proper shipping name
for ethanol blend E10. Please note that, in a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)
published under Docket Number HM-218D (71 FR 55757; September 25,2006), we
proposed to add a new entry to the HMT for ethanol and gasoline mixtures containing .
more than 10% ethanol and to revise the HMT entries "Gasohol, gasoline mixed with
ethyl alcohol, with not more than 20 percent alcohol, " NA 1203 and "Gasoline," UN1203.
The proposed revisions are intended to help emergency response personnel respond
appropriately to incidents involving such fuel mixtures. A copy of the HM-218D NPRM
is enclosed.
I hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if you require additional assistance.
Sincerely,
dward T. Mazzullo
Director
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
Enclosure: HM-2 18D, Hazardous Materials; Miscellaneous Amendments, Notice of
proposed rulemaking
Cc: Mr. Michael Ritchie
Minnesota Department of Transportation

<<<PAGE 3>>>

PTSA
Petroleum Ti-ansportatim & Storage Association
May 8,2007
Hattie Mitchell, Chief
Regu!a?cry Rsvielv and Reinvention
U.S. DOT PHMSA
East Building PHH-I 0
1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20590
RE: HAZMAT Shipping Papers for Biodiesel and Ethanol
Dear Ms Mitchell:
In a letter dated July 3 1, 2006 to Mike Ritchie, Minnesota Department of Transportation (Ref. No.
06-0122) you clarified HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180 regarding proper shipping names for diesel fuel and
fuel oils mixed with vegetable and animal oils and gasoline mixed with denatured alcohol (biodiesel and
ethanol).
The U.S. DOT Hazardous Material Hotline is providing information for these shipping papers that
differ from the proper shipping names contained in your letter to Mr. Ritchie. Please confirm that the
following shipping names comply with the HMR for bio-diesel and ethanol blends:
B-2 Biodiesel
"Diesel Fuel Solution NA 1993 PG 111" or
"Fuel Oil Solution NA1993 PG 111" or
"Diesel Fuel Solution UN1202 PG 111''
B-20 Biodiesel
"Fuel Oil Solution NA1993 PG III" or
"Flammable Liquid n.0.s. (he1 oil solution) UN1993 PG 11"
"Gasohol NA1203 PG 11" or.
"Flammable Liquid, n.0.s. (contains gasoline with 10% denatured alcohol) UN 1993 PG 11"
4200 Wisconsin Avenue N.W. Suite 106 Washington, DC 2001 6
Phone: (202)364-6767 Fax: (202)966-4560

<<<PAGE 4>>>

Page 2. Hattie Mitchell, May 8, 2007
Since there remains considerable confusion regarding this issue among not only the regulated
industry but also within state and federal transportation enforcement authorities, I am requesting an
expedited response to this inquiry.
If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (202) 364-6767 or
mrnor~anutsa0,cox.net. Thank you.
Sin erely, / F
Rc,, L > k(L, ZY-
Mark S. Morgan, Esq. J (
Regulatory Counsel
Petroleum Marketers Association of America
Petroleum Transportation and Storage Association
cc: Dan Gilligan, President
Petroleum Marketers Association of America

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2007/070100.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `f68aace673f5f0abd2370fe20b861b18f62adbc5af8374acff712ca62361dc95`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T21:17:23.630Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-07-0100`

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