# Defense Logistics-Agency — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 02-0278
- **title:** Defense Logistics-Agency — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2002-11-13
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 02-0278 response to Defense Logistics-Agency concerning 173.427.
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- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-02-0278
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2002/020278.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

of Transportation
U.S. Department
400 Seventh St., S.W.
Special Programs
Research and
NOV 1 3 2002
Washington, D.C. 20590
Administration
Mr. F. Kevin Reilly
Defense Logistics Agency
Director, Environmental Management
Ref. No. 02-0278
Et. Belvoir, Virginia 22060-6223
8725 John J. Kingman Road, Suite
3229
Dear Mr. Reilly:
This is in response to your letter dated October 10, 2002
regarding the shipment of Radioactive material, low specific
strong tight bulk packaging (i.e., freight container) in
activity, n.o.s. (UN2912) that is packaged in a non-specification
Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180).
accordance with S 173.427 (c) (1)of the Hazardous Materials
whether the material may be contained in inner non-bulk
Specifically, you ask
packagings.
non-specification strong tight bulk packaging for Radioactive
is yes.: Section 173.427(c) (1)authorizes the use of a
material, low specific activity, n.o.s. (UN2912).. The fact that
the material is further contained in non-bulk packagings is not.
relevant.
I hope this information is helpful.
Sincerely,
Note z. Michell.
Hattie L. Mitchell
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention
173.427(c)
020278
2.

<<<PAGE 2>>>

Betts
DEFENSE NATIONAL STOCKPILE CENTER
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
8725 JOHN J. KINGMAN ROAD, SUITE 3229
8/73.403
FT. BELVOIR, VIRGINIA 22060-6223
§ 734276
IN REPLY
REFER TO
DNSC-E
OCT 1 0 2002
Packagings
02-0278
Mr. Edward T. Mazzullo
Research and Special Programs Administration
Director, Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 7th Street, S. W.
Washington, DC 20590-0001
Dear Sir,
responsibility of reducing the amount of material in the national strategic stockpile.
The Defense Logistics Agency, Defense National Stockpile Center, is charged with
Some of these materials qualify as hazardous materials in accordance with Title 49 Parts
171-180. I am writing to you to confirm our understanding of how these regulations can
be met for the shipment of a particular material we need to transport.
The material is a low level radioactive material, originally purchased from various
representative samples of the material lots and have determined that they do not meet the
sources around the world in the 1950's and 1960's as Thorium Nitrate:; Werhave,tested
definition of an oxidizer as specified in 49 CFR 173.127 and in accordance with the
prescribed tests in the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria. Earlier guidance provided by
meets the definition of Low Specific Activity (LSA) as defined in 49 CFR 173.403 and
your office (letter of March 13, 2001, reference number 01-0064), states "...if the material
does not meet any other hazard class, it would be most appropriately described as
"Radioactive material, LSA, n.o.s." Therefore, we plan to ship the materials domestically
as Radioactive material, low specific activity, n.o.s.
We will be shipping the material under exclusive use conditions and the total activity in a
(drums) in which the materials are loaded are in impaired condition and will not qualify
package will always be less than A since this value is unlimited. The current packagings
The bulk packagings we propose to use are intermodal freight containers that are
intermediate form of containment..." Since the drums themselves are not strong tight
Printed on
Recycled Paper

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of containment' that would negate shipping them inside a 'bulk packaging'.
packages, we would like to confirm that they would not constitute an 'intermediate form
Please confirm our understanding that since the current packagings themselves are not
strong tight packages they would not constitute an 'intermediate form of containment' that
would negate shipping them inside a 'bulk packaging.
Sincerely,
E. KEVIN REILLY
Director, Environmental Management
AREA 703 767-6522
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