Approval of MEGCs.

(a) Application for design type approval. (1) Each new MEGC design type must have a design approval certificate. An owner or manufacturer must apply to an approval agency that is approved by the Associate Administrator in accordance with subpart E of part 107 of this chapter + to obtain approval of a new design. When a series of MEGCs is manufactured without change in the design, the certificate is valid for the entire series. The design approval certificate must refer to the prototype test report, the materials of construction of the manifold, the standards to which the pressure receptacles are made and an approval number. The compliance requirements or test methods applicable to MEGCs as specified in this subpart may be varied when the level of safety is determined to be equivalent to or exceed the requirements of this subchapter and is approved in writing by the Associate Administrator. A design approval may serve for the approval of smaller MEGCs made of materials of the same type and thickness, by the same fabrication techniques and with identical supports, equivalent closures and other appurtenances.

(2) Each application for design approval must be in English and contain the following information:

(i) Two complete copies of all engineering drawings, calculations, and test data necessary to ensure that the design meets the relevant specification.

(ii) The manufacturer's serial number that will be assigned to each MEGC.

(iii) A statement as to whether the design type has been examined by any approval agency previously and judged unacceptable. Affirmative statements must be documented with the name of the approval agency, reason for non-acceptance, and the nature of modifications made to the design type.

(b) Actions by the approval agency. The approval agency must review the application for design type approval, including all drawings and calculations, to ensure that the design of the MEGC meets all requirements of the relevant specification and to determine whether it is complete and conforms to the requirements of this section. An incomplete application will be returned to the applicant with the reasons why the application was returned. If the application is complete and all applicable requirements of this section are met, the approval agency must prepare a MEGC design approval certificate containing the manufacturer's name and address, results and conclusions of the examination and necessary data for identification of the design type. If the Associate Administrator approves the Design Type Approval Certificate application, the approval agency and the manufacturer must each maintain a copy of the approved drawings, calculations, and test data for at least 20 years.

(c) Approval agency's responsibilities. The approval agency is responsible for ensuring that the MEGC conforms to the design type approval. The approval agency must:

(1) Witness all tests required for the approval of the MEGC specified in this section and § 178.75.

(2) Ensure, through appropriate inspection, that each MEGC is fabricated in all respects in conformance with the approved drawings, calculations, and test data.

(3) Determine and ensure that the MEGC is suitable for its intended use and that it conforms to the requirements of this subchapter.

(4) Apply its name, identifying mark or identifying number, and the date the approval was issued, to the metal identification marking plate attached to the MEGC upon successful completion of all requirements of this subpart. Any approvals by the Associate Administrator authorizing design or construction alternatives (Alternate Arrangements) of the MEGC (see paragraph (a) of this section) must be indicated on the metal identification plate as specified in § 178.75(j).

(5) Prepare an approval certificate for each MEGC or, in the case of a series of identical MEGCs manufactured to a single design type, for each series of MEGCs. The approval certificate must include all of the following information:

(i) The information displayed on the metal identification plate required by § 178.75(j);

(ii) The results of the applicable framework test specified in ISO 1496-3 (IBR, see § 171.7 of this subchapter);

(iii) The results of the initial inspection and test specified in paragraph (h) of this section;

(iv) The results of the impact test specified in § 178.75(i)(4);

(v) Certification documents verifying that the cylinders and tubes conform to the applicable standards; and

(vi) A statement that the approval agency certifies the MEGC in accordance with the procedures in this section and that the MEGC is suitable for its intended purpose and meets the requirements of this subchapter. When a series of MEGCs is manufactured without change in the design type, the certificate may be valid for the entire series of MEGCs representing a single design type. The approval number must consist of the distinguishing sign or mark of the country (“USA” for the United States of America) where the approval was granted and a registration number.

(6) Retain on file a copy of each approval certificate for at least 20 years.

(d) Manufacturers' responsibilities. The manufacturer is responsible for compliance with the applicable specifications for the design and construction of MEGCs. The manufacturer of a MEGC must:

(1) Comply with all the requirements of the applicable ISO standard specified in § 178.71;

(2) Obtain and use an approval agency to review the design, construction and certification of the MEGC;

(3) Provide a statement in the manufacturers' data report certifying that each MEGC manufactured complies with the relevant specification and all the applicable requirements of this subchapter; and

(4) Retain records for the MEGCs for at least 20 years. When required by the specification, the manufacturer must provide copies of the records to the approval agency, the owner or lessee of the MEGC, and to a representative of DOT, upon request.

(e) Denial of application for approval. If the Associate Administrator finds that the MEGC will not be approved for any reason, the Associate Administrator will notify the applicant in writing and provide the reason for the denial. The manufacturer may request that the Associate Administrator reconsider the decision. The application request must—

(1) Be written in English and filed within 90 days of receipt of the decision;

(2) State in detail any alleged errors of fact and law; and

(3) Enclose any additional information needed to support the request to reconsider.

(f) Appeal. (1) A manufacturer whose reconsideration request is denied may appeal to the PHMSA Administrator. The appeal must—

(i) Be in writing and filed within 90 days of receipt of the Associate Administrator s decision on reconsideration;

(ii) State in detail any alleged errors of fact and law;

(iii) Enclose any additional information needed to support the appeal; and

(iv) State in detail the modification of the final decision sought.

(2) The Administrator will grant or deny the relief and inform the appellant in writing of the decision. The Administrator's decision is the final administrative action.

(g) Modifications to approved MEGCs. (1) Prior to modification of any approved MEGC that may affect conformance and safe use, and that may involve a change to the design type or affect its ability to retain the hazardous material in transportation, the MEGC's owner must inform the approval agency that prepared the initial approval certificate for the MEGC or, if the initial approval agency is unavailable, another approval agency, of the nature of the modification and request certification of the modification. The owner must supply the approval agency with all revised drawings, calculations, and test data relative to the intended modification. The MEGC's owner must also provide a statement as to whether the intended modification has been examined and determined to be unacceptable by any approval agency. The written statement must include the name of the approval agency, the reason for non-acceptance, and the nature of changes made to the modification since its original rejection.

(2) The approval agency must review the request for modification. If the approval agency determines that the proposed modification does not conform to the relevant specification, the approval agency must reject the request in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section. If the approval agency determines that the proposed modification conforms fully with the relevant specification, the request is accepted. If modification to an approved MEGC alters any information on the approval certificate, the approval agency must prepare a new approval certificate for the modified MEGC and submit the certificate to the Associate Administrator for approval. After receiving approval from the Associate Administrator, the approval agency must ensure that any necessary changes are made to the metal identification plate. A copy of each newly issued approval certificate must be retained by the approval agency and the MEGC's owner for at least 20 years. The approval agency must perform the following activities:

(i) Retain a set of the approved revised drawings, calculations, and data as specified in § 178.69(b)(4) for at least 20 years;

(ii) Ensure through appropriate inspection that all modifications conform to the revised drawings, calculations, and test data; and

(iii) Determine the extent to which retesting of the modified MEGC is necessary based on the nature of the proposed modification, and ensure that all required retests are satisfactorily performed.

(h) Termination of Approval Certificate. (1) The Associate Administrator may terminate an approval issued under this section if he or she determines that—

(i) Because of a change in circumstances, the approval no longer is needed or no longer would be granted if applied for;

(ii) Information upon which the approval was based is fraudulent or substantially erroneous;

(iii) Termination of the approval is necessary to adequately protect against risks to life and property; or

(iv) The MEGC does not meet the specification.

(2) Before an approval is terminated, the Associate Administrator will provide the person—

(i) Written notice of the facts or conduct believed to warrant the termination;

(ii) An opportunity to submit oral and written evidence; and

(3) An opportunity to demonstrate or achieve compliance with the applicable requirements.

(i) Imminent Danger. If the Associate Administrator determines that a certificate of approval must be terminated to preclude a significant and imminent adverse effect on public safety, the Associate Administrator may terminate the certificate immediately. In such circumstances, the opportunities of paragraphs (h)(2) and (3) of this section need not be provided prior to termination of the approval, but must be provided as soon as practicable thereafter.

[71 FR 33890, June 12, 2006]