# American Ordnance LLC — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 13-0016  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2013-02-20

13-0016 response to American Ordnance LLC concerning 173.127, 173.22.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
FEB 2 0 1013
Charles McDowell
EMS Representative
American Ordnance LLC
2280 Highway 104 West, Ste. 2
Milan, TN 38358-3177
Reference No. 13-0016
Dear Mr. McDowell:
This is in response to your January 22, 2013 e-mail requesting the Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) provide clarification on the shipment of waste
water canisters containing perchlorate resins. In your scenario, the canisters are removed
from service and the perchlorate resin in the containers is tested in accordance with
§ 173.127(a)(1) of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) and
found not to support combustion. In addition the perchlorate resin is tested and is
determined not to be an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hazardous waste. You ask
if empty packaging provisions in§ 173.23 would apply to the perchlorate resin in your
containers.
Under§ 173.22, it is the shipper's responsibility to properly classify a hazardous material.
This Office does not perform that function. However, based on the information you
provided, it does not appear that the material you describe meets the definition of a
hazardous material. Therefore, the empty packaging provision in§ 173.23 would not apply
to the containers.
I hope this satisfies your request.
Sincerely,
T. Glenn Foster
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division

<<<PAGE 2>>>

Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
INFOCNTR (PHMSA)
Tuesday, January 22,201311:14 AM
Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)
FW: Interpretation.
4nclrec.US
~ 113 ·IZ 1
;$?173·::29
UiptJ Pa.clajlr>JS
!3~tJcJ/(o
Hi Carolyn,
We received the following request for a formal letter of interpretation.
Thanks,
Victoria
From: McDowell, Charles [mailto:Charles.McDowell@aollc.biz]
Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2013 10:59 AM
To: INFOCNTR (PHMSA)
Cc: Arnold, Jackie
Subject: Interpretation.
At our facility, we have used an ion exchange resin to remove perchlorate from waste
water. Once the canisters reach a saturation point, they are removed from service and
drained. The contaminated resin has been tested in accordance with 173.127 (a)(1), and would
not support combustion, thus exceeding the burn time of the 3:7 potassium bromate/cellulose
mixture. Based upon analysis, the material does not meet the definition of a hazardous waste.
Question:
Since a hazardous material (Perchlorate) passed through the containers of the ion exchange
resin and contaminated the resin, does 49 CHR 173.29 (Empty Packagings) apply to the
containers of contaminated resin and ship the containers as UN 1481 Perchlorates, Inorganic
N.O.S. or do we base our shipping name upon the analysis of the contaminated resin and ship
the contaminated resin as an unregulated material?
If you have any questions feel free to contact me (Monday thru Thursday).
Charles McDowell
EMS Representative
American Ordnance LLC
Office 731.686.6725
Mobile 870.761.1349
mcdowecr@aollc. biz
1

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2013/130016.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `067c35bfce99e7768656914718086fad4e6dcad649d14ecf63cf6022c6dae913`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T23:05:03.318Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-13-0016`

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