# Veolia ES Technical Solutions, L.L.C. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 13-0109  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2013-07-12

13-0109 response to Veolia ES Technical Solutions, L.L.C. concerning 172.101.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
JUL I 2 2013
Ms. Je1mifer Eberle
Manager, Transportation Compliance
Veolia ES Teclmical Solutions, L.L.C.
1 Eden Lane
Flanders, NJ 07836
Reference No. 13-0109
Dear Ms. Eberle:
This is in response to your May 17, 2013 letter requesting clarification on the use of the
symbol "%" for the word "percent" under the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49
CFR Parts 171-180). Specifically, you ask if this symbol may be used to replace the word
"percent" in the proper shipping name you provided as an example: "Nitric acid other than red
fuming, with more than 70 percent nitric acid."
The answer is yes. Under § 172.101 (c)( 1 ), words in a proper shipping name listed in Column
2 ofthe Hazardous Materials Table(§ 172.101) may alternatively be spelled in the same
manner as they appear in the International Civil Aviation Organization's Technical
Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (ICAO Technical Instructions)
or the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code). Under the ICAO
Teclmical Instructions and IMDG Code, the proper shipping name for nitric acid with a
concentration of 70 percent or more is "Nitric acid, other than red fuming, with more than
70% nitric acid." This alternative spelling may be used regardless of the mode of
transportation used.
I hope this satisfies your request.
Sincerely,
T. Glenn Foster
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division

<<<PAGE 2>>>

May 17,2013
Edmon3:>n
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1.3- Dl aq
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Attn: PHH-10
U.S. Department of Transportation
East Building
1200 New Jersey Avenue S.E.
Washington DC 20590-0001
RE: Request for Interpretation Regarding Substitution ofthe Word "Percent"
with the % Symbol
To Whom It May Concern:
Veolia is requesting written guidance from PHMSA regarding substituting the word
"percent" with the% symbol when included as part ofthe proper shipping name.
Column 2 of the §172.101 Hazardous Materials Table lists hazardous materials
descriptions and proper shipping names, some of which contain words in italics that
may be used in addition to the proper shipping name. Veolia is requesting
clarification to determine if substituting the word, "percent" with the % symbol is
authorized.
Example:
The HMR indicates the following proper shipping name as:
Nitric acid other than red fuming, with more than 70 percent nitric acid
Would it be compliant to substitute the word percent with the% symbol as
indicated below?
Nitric acid other than red fuming, with more than 70% nitric acid
Your written response to this request is greatly appreciated. If you require any
further information regarding this request please feel free to contact me at
~~~""-=~~~"-'--'!=:""'~~'"'-'"/ 973-691-7331 or Tom Baker at
==~~'--"-~~=C!."/ 973-691-7330.
Thank you,

<<<PAGE 3>>>

Jennifer Eberle
Manager, Transportation Compliance
Veolia ES Technical Solutions, L.L.C.

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2013/130109.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `8594da939aa48c0900f6250a71ea73c7408a5b2f8588caa5bab969460a887d1f`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T21:14:59.511Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-13-0109`

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