# Oakite Products, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 00-0099
- **title:** Oakite Products, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2000-04-21
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 00-0099 response to Oakite Products, Inc. concerning 171.8.
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- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2000/000099.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department
400 Seventh Street, S W
of Transportation
Washington, D.C
20590
Research and
Special Programs
Administration
APR 2 1 2000
Mr. Barry L. Dance
Ref. No. 00-0099
Oakite
Products, Inc.
Corporate Transportation Manager
13177 Huron River Drive
Romulus, MI
48174
Dear Mr. Dance:
This is in response to your letter dated March 29, 2000
regarding the definition of a hazardous sübstance under the
Hazardous Materials
Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180).
Under § 171.8, a hazardous substance is defined as a material,
including its
mixtures and solutions, that: (1) is listed in
Appendix A to § 172.101 of the HMR;
(2) is in a quantity, in
one package, which equals or exceeds its reportable quantity;
and (3) is in a concentration by weight which equals or
exceeds the concentration corresponding to the Re of the
material, as shown in the table under § 171.8.
hydroxide (47 percent concentration) in three different
In your letter, you state that your company packages sodium
packages, one containing 1,410 pounds of sodium hydroxide, and
two other packages each containing less than 1,000 pounds of
sodium hydroxide.
Sodium hydroxide has an RQ of 1,000 pounds.
To meet the definition of a hazardous substance, the quantity
of sodium hydroxide in each package must equal or exceed 1,000
pounds and 2 percent concentration by weight. You are correct
in your understanding that only the package containing 1,410
pounds of sodium hydroxide meets the definition of a hazardous
substance.
I hope this satisfies your request.
Sincerely,
Gale
Transportation Regulations Specialists
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
1118
000099

<<<PAGE 2>>>

BAH
51718 Hazsub
Chemetall Oakite
Fax. (734) 941-2193
Tel. (734) 941-3800 44 7»
Internet Address: http://www.oakite.com
email: barry.dance@chemetall.com
March 29, 2000
00 - 0099
US Department of Transportation
onched Special Propert Almitation,
Washington, DC 20590
Mr. Billings,
I am writing for clarification regarding RQ, Hazardous Substances, and the interpretation of 171.8,
Hazardous Substance definition, and 172.203 (c) (2).
ingredients. The concentration of the sodium hydroxide is 47%. We package the product in
We have a product that is liquid solution of sodium hydroxide, water, and other non-hazardous
several different sizes and the solution meets the definition for class 8, PG II. Our shipping
of the package is shown in the following table:
description is: Sodium Hydroxide, Solution, 8, UN 1824, PG II. We add RQ depending on the size
Package net weight
RQ added to description
500 Ibs.
50 Ibs.
NO
NO
3000 Ibs.
YES
if I properly interpret 171.8 Hazardous Substance definition and 172.203 (c) (2), our 3000-pound
net package requires RQ because:
1. Sodium hydroxide is listed in 172.10, Appendix A, Table 1 as a Hazardous
Substance
2. The sodium hydroxide net content is 1,410 pounds (47% of 3000) which exceeds the
3. The concentration of the sodium nydroxide in the solution exceeds 2%
1000 Reportable Quantity amount, and
The other two packages do not require RQ designation because the net content of sodium
172.10, Appendix A, Table 1.
hydroxide in the package does not exceed the 1000 pound Reportable Quantity amount shown in
Can you advise if I am properly interpreting the regulations in this example?
Sincerely
Barry L. Dance
Corporate Transportation Manager
Oakite Products, Inc. • 13177 Huron River Drive • Romulus, MI 48174
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