# Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** CHI-00-001  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2000-05-22

CHI-00-001 response to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority concerning 171.8.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department
of Transportation
Room 8407
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Special Programs
Research and
Washington, D.C. 20590
Administration
Office of the
Chief Counsel
Phone: (202) 366-4400
Fax: (202) 366-7041
MAY 22 2000
Cheryl C. Burke, Esq.
General Counsel
Washington Metropolitan
Area Transit Authority
600 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC
20001
Dear Ms. Burke:
Thank you for your recent letter in which you requested
confirmation that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit
Authority (WMATA) is not subject to the requirement to register
with the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) and
to pay a registration fee.
As you indicate, this letter follows
up the discussions last December between WMATA
staff members and
two persons at RSPA: David Donaldson, of RSPA's Office of
Hazardous Materials Planning and Analysis, and Frazer Hilder, of
RSPA's Office of the Chief Counsel.
As Mr. Hilder explained at that time, the Hazardous Materials
governmental agency when the agency (or its employees) actually
Regulations (HMR), 49 C.F.R. Parts 171-180, do not apply to a
perform the transportation as part of carrying out a governmental
function (as opposed to
a commercial enterprise). See 49 U.S.C.
$ 5102(9) and 49 C.F.R. $ 171.8 (defining a "person" to whom the
regulations prescribed
under
§ 5103(a) (a) apply) .
With respect to RSPA's registration requirement,
49 U.S.C.
§ 5108 (i) (2) (B) also specifically provides that "a department of
the United States Government, [and] an authority of a State or a
political subdivision of a State" are not required to register
and pay the registration fee.
This statutory exception is
repeated in RSPA's
regulations at 49 C.F.R. § 107.606 (a) .
According to your letter, WMATA is an interstate compact
authority and an agency of the District of Columbia, the State of

<<<PAGE 2>>>

2
Maryland, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Accordingly, WMATA
is excepted from the registration requirement in 49 C.F.R.
with
$ 107.601 et seg., and it has never been required to register
RSPA.
Because
WMATA is covered by an exception in the law and
regulations, there is no need for you to apply for an exemption
"exemption"
under 49 U.S.C. § 5117.
The 2-year period for issuing an
does not apply to an "exception" from the
regulations.
WMATA is also not subject to the other requirements in the HMR,
except when it offers a hazardous material for transportation
material in furtherance of a commercial enterprise.
commerce (i.e., to a common carrier) or transports hazardous
contractor that offers or transports hazardous materials on
However, a
behalf of WMATA is fully subject to the HMR.
I hope this information is helpful. If you have additional
questions or we can be of further
myself or Mr. Hilder at 202-366-4400.
assistance, please contact
Sincerely,
4 Br
Edward H. Bonekemper, III
Assistant Chief Counsel for
Hazardous Materials Safety and
Research and Technology Law

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/Hazmat/ChiefCounsel/CHI-00-001.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `3862636580aa5a8b7bf12d3e3a96bf1777d0f2a93de067d2900e969974f70c46`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T08:02:58.051Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-chi-00-001`

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