# Reagent Chemical & Research Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 20-0014  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2020-04-30

20-0014 response to Reagent Chemical & Research Inc. concerning 172.516, 172.519, 172.558.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
April 30, 2020
Robert Dritschel
Director of Regulatory Affairs
Reagent Chemical & Research Inc.
115 US Highway 202
Ringoes, New Jersey 08551
Reference No. 20-0014
Dear Mr. Dritschel:
This letter is in response to your January 31, 2020 letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to placarding. Specifically, you
ask whether utilizing a blue boarder around the edge of your Class 8 (corrosive) material placard
meets the requirements of § 172.516(c)(7).
In your letter, you provided a picture of the placard affixed to a white cargo tank. Based on this
picture, the answer to your question is yes. If the placard still meets the requirements of
§§ 172.519 and 172.558, a thick blue boarder around the placard may be used to meet the
requirements of § 172.516(c)(7).
I hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
T. Glenn Foster
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division

<<<PAGE 2>>>

RE AG E NT ®
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C HEMICAL
Reagent Chemical & Research, Inc.
115 US HIGHWAY 202 • RINGOES, NEW JERSEY 08551
OFFICE : (908) 284-2800 • FAX: {908) 284-2 113
January 31 , 2020
Mr. Shane Kelley
Director, Standards and Rulemaking Division
U.S. DOT/PHMSA (PHH-10)
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE East Building, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20590
Dear Mr. Kelley,
I am writing to you in order to get a formal letter of interpretation on the placarding of a
hazardous material bulk trailer.
Reagent Chemical & Research, Inc. distributes hydrochloric acid solution in their
privately owned bulk tank trailers for delivery to their customers. These trailers are
placarded with a black and white 1789 Corrosive placard as required. It is understood
that that the placard must be affixed to a background of contrasting color, or must have a
dotted or solid line outer border which contrasts with the background color.
In order to comply with 49 CFR 172.516 ( c )(7), the adhesive placard used by Reagent
Chemical incorporates a background contrasting color solid outer border and also, as
described in 49 CFR 172.519(b )(2), the colored border also indicates the full size of the
placard. I have attached a picture of the tank trailer and the placard in question for your
review.
Reagent Chemical & Research, Inc. requests your interpretation on the compliance with
the hazardous materials placarding regulations of the color-bordered outlined placard in
the picture submitted.
Reagent Chemical & Research, Inc.
Registered to ISO 900 I; 2008
Certificate# 10004240 QM08

<<<PAGE 3>>>

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## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/73761/200014.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `d2315b044b70641065f5af4bd10e153f251d1e23b24d4edfee5ff7dbd4431769`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-23T15:45:24.453Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-20-0014`

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