# Vanderbilt Chemical Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 04-0062
- **title:** Vanderbilt Chemical Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2004-03-24
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 04-0062 response to Vanderbilt Chemical Corporation concerning 173.427.
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- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2004/040062.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

of Transportation
U.S. Department
400 Seventh St., S.W.
Speciai Programs
Research and
MAR 24 2004
Washington, D.C. 20590
Acministration
Mr. Joe Curtis
Environmental Manage
Ref. No. 04-0062
Vanderbilt Chemical Corporation
Murray Division
396 Pella Way
Murray, KY 42071
Dear Mr. Curtis:
This is in response to your letter dated March 10, 2004 regarding the definition of a bulk packaging
under the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180). Specifically, you ask if
the statement "...in which hazardous materials are loaded with no intermediate form of containment..."
found in § 171.8 under the definition of a bulk packaging precludes you from transporting a material
classed as "Toxic solid; organic, n.o.s. (zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate), 6.1, UN2811, PG I" in a
"11HH2/X" intermediate bulk container (IBC) if the hazardous material is pre-packaged in small, non-
specification paper bags.
As long as the material is packaged in an authorized bulk packaging the fact that it is pre-packaged in
small, non-specification paper bags is not relevant. Note, however, that the bags must not react
dangerously with the material or reduce the integrity of the authorized bulk packaging. According to
Column 7 of the Hazardous Materials Table (HMT; § 172.101) a material that is classified as "Toxic
solid, organic, n.o.s. (zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate), 6.1, UN2811, PG I" is authorized to be packaged
in IBCs conforming to the requirements of Special Provision IB7. According to IB7, an IBC identified
with the marking code "11HH2/X", which represents a composite IBC with a flexible inner receptacle
and a plastic outer packaging that has passed all performance tests at the PG I level, is authorized.
Therefore, it is our opinion that your packaging configuration is authorized under the HMR.
I hope this satisfies your request.
Sincerely,
Chief, Standards Development
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
173.427
040062

<<<PAGE 2>>>

Supko
§173.421
VANDERBILT CHEMICAL CORPORATION
Murray Division • 396 Pella Way • Murray, Kentucky 42071
Packagings 04-0062
Phone - 270-753-4926 • Facsimile - 270-759-9692
March 10, 2004
Via: Federal Express # 6496 2535 8023
Mr. Edward T. Mazzullo
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
U.S. DOT, Research & Special Programs Administration
400 Seventh St., SW, DHM-10
Washington, DC 20590-0001
Dear Mr.
Mazzullo:
Subject: Request for Interpretation
Vanderbilt Company Incorporated (collectively Vanderbilt). Vanderbilt manufactures,
Vanderbilt Chemical Corporation is a wholly owned manufacturing subsidiary of R.T.
sells and distributes chemicals around the world. Some of these chemicals are
hazardous materials pursuant to Title 49 Parts 171 - 180 (HMR). I am writing to confirm
material that we need to transport in commerce.
our understanding of how these regulations may be met for consignments of a particular
The commercial name of this material is Methyl Zimate® (zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate).
Methyl Zimate® is a dry powder, and it is physically stable at all anticipated ambient
temperatures. The typical end user is someone making molded rubber devices using
small quantities of the material at a time.
Methyl Zimate® is a class 6.1 - Toxic due to its inhalation toxicity (LC50 = 81 mg/m? -
"TOXIC SOLID, ORGANIC, NOS (ZINC DIMETHYLDITHIOCARBAMATE), 6.1, UN
rat), but does not meet any other hazard class. Vanderbilt has described the material as
2811, PG I." The hazardous material table, § 172.101, authorizes intermediate bulk
containers (IBC's) pursuant to § 173.242(d) and special condition IB7. Vanderbiit
proposes to use composite IBC's rated 11HH2/X as the outer packaging.
In order to reduce worker exposure and generally facilitate handling by end user's
that are, in turn, placed in the authorized IBC. In addition to improving safety and health
employees, we intend to pre-package the material in small, non-specification paper bags
for the end users employees, this bulk package will simplify storage and handling by the
end user, and will be more efficiently transported than, for example, multiple smaller fiber
Further, we intend to mark each non-specification (inner) package with the material's
We will be shipping this material directly to the end user under exclusive use conditions.
commercial name, appropriate health and safety warnings and a statement saying, in
essence, "this is a non-specification package." These markings will communicate
necessary safety and health information to affected employees, and will help ensure that

<<<PAGE 3>>>

MARCH 10, 2004
MR. EDWARD T. MAZZULLO
PAGE 2
the material is not re-offered for transportation in these non-specification packages
on these bags.
alone. No hazard class label, proper shipping name or UN number markings will appear
These IBC's are authorized for use as bulk packagings for our material. They will be
the materials were loose inside the IBC. The addition of the smaller non-specification
sufficiently tight to prevent any release of the material during routine transport, even if
inner packages will add to the level of safety inherent in the specification IBC.
states,
Our concern is with that portion of the definition of "bulk packaging" at § 171.8 that
containment ...." Since the paper bags are non-specification packages, we would like
...in which hazardous materials are loaded with no intermediate form of
your confirmation that they do not constitute an "intermediate form of containment" that
negate shipping them inside an authorized bulk packaging.
for a similar situation - see RSPA Reference No. 02-0278 (attached for your
Our search of your files found a favorable interpretation to essentially the same question
convenience). In this situation, RSPA found that a hazardous material might be
contained in non-specification non-buik inner packagings so long as the main, or outer,
packaging was authorized. Ms. Hattie L. Mitchell, RSPA's reviewer, concluded "(t)he
fact that the material is further contained in non-bulk packagings is not relevant."
Vanderbilt thanks you for considering this matter. If you have any questions, comments
jcurtis@rtvanderbilt.com or call me at 270-753-4926.
or concerns regarding this request for interpretation please e-mail me at
Best regards,
Joe Curtis
Environmental Manager
jec
Enclosures (3 pages)
cc: Betty-Lynn White, Esq. (RTV)
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