{"operation":"document","citation":"05-0172","title":"McCarthy, Sweeney &amp; Harkaway, P.C — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2005-08-25","effective_on":null,"summary":"05-0172 response to McCarthy, Sweeney &amp; Harkaway, P.C concerning 173.120.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-05-0172.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-05-0172.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-05-0172","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2005/050172.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\n400 Seventh Street, S.W.\nWashington, D.G. 20590\nPipeline and\nHazardous Materials Safety\nMr. Lawrence W. Bierlein\nRef. No. 05-0172\nMcCarthy, Sweeney & Harkaway, P.C.\n2175 K Street, NW\nWashington, DC 20037\nDear Mr. Bierlein:\nThis responds to your July14, 2005 letter requesting clarification on the applicability of\nthe Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180), to perfume inserts\nfor magazines. Specifically, you are requesting a di minimis determination for the\nperfume inserts for domestic transportation, and as the U.S. Competent Authority for\ninternational transportation, similar to that provided in Special Provision 47 of the HMR,\nSpecial Provision 216 of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code and\nSpecial Provision A46 of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Technical\nInstructions.\nAccording to your letter, companies intend to distribute small amounts of perfume in\npackets affixed to the inside pages of fashion magazines. Each packet contains\napproximately 0.3 mL of perfume having a flashpoint ranging from 55°-73° F, depending\nupon the particular perfume. A few drops of perfume are placed on a porous base in a foil\npouch, and heat and vacuum-sealed. They are packed into the magazine insert and\nshipped, 42 to an inner chipboard carton, with 24 inner cartons per outer shipping carton.\nEach completed carton does not exceed 30 kg mass and meets the general packaging\ncriteria of § 173.24.\nBased on the information and test results provided in your letter, it is the opinion of this\nOffice that these inserts containing perfume for affixing in magazines are similar to the\narticles described in the referenced Special Provisions, and are not subject to the\nrequirements of the HMR, IMDG Code, or the ICAO Technical Instructions.\nI hope this answers your inquiry.\nSincerely,\nChief, Standards Development\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Standards\n173.120\n050172\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nLAW OFFICES\nLAWRENCE W. BIERLEIN\nMCCARTHY, SWEENEY & HARKAWAY, P.C.\nPHILIP L. CHABOT, JR.\nDOUGLAS M. CANTER\nSUITE 600\n(202) 775-5574\nFACSIMILE\nJOHN M. CUTLER, Jr.\n2175 K STREET, N.W.\nSTEVEN J. KALISH\nANDREW P. GOLDSTEIN\nWASHINGTON, D.C. 20037\nE-MAIL\n(202) 775-5560\nMSH@MSHPC.COM\nRICHARD D. LIEBERMAN\nCHANNING D. STROTHER, Jr.\nhtTP://www.MSHPC.COM\nWEBSITE\nWARREN S. FELDMAN, STAFF ATTORNEY*\n\"Admitted in CA & NY\nBoothe\nJuly 14, 2005\n$173.120\nDefinitions\nDr. Robert A. McGuire\n85-0172\nAssociate Administrator for\nHazardous Materials Safety\nPipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\nU.S. Department of Transportation\nWashington, DC 20590\nDear Dr. McGuire:\nOn behalf of Estee Lauder, Inc., and Valois, Inc., I hereby request your\nconsideration of the status of the items described below. Please review these materials in\nthe context of the statutory definition of \"hazardous material\" as being in a particular\namount and form that when in transportation may pose an unreasonable risk to health and\nsafety or property. We ask for a de minimis characterization of these items by PHMSA\nfor domestic transportation, and as the U.S. Competent Authority for international\ntransportation, akin to that provided in Special Provision 47 in title 49 (and SP 216 of the\nUN Model Regulations) for alcohol wipes, cleaning card, pens, and similar articles.\nConcept. The companies intend to distribute small amounts of perfume in packets\nindividual packets, some printed and some before printing that you can take apart. I also\naffixed to the inside pages of fashion magazines. I have enclosed examples of these\nenclose two sample pages with the insert affixed, and two magazines illustrating the\nproposal.\nContents. Each packet contains approximately 0.3 mL of perfume having a\nflashpoint ranging from 55-73°F, depending upon the particular perfume.\nFabrication. A few drops of perfume are placed within a foil pouch that is heat\nand vacuum-sealed utilizing custom machinery. The perfume is on a porous base. The\nsealed unit cannot be opened except by pulling Tab 1 on the insert, which removes the\nfoil seal and lets air into the aluminum pouch. Squeezing Tab 2 on the insert then will\nrelease approximately 6 tiny sprays of the fragrance. Squeezing Tab 2 without first\npulling Tab 1 will not release the perfume.\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nThe perfume is placed into the magazine insert and these inserts are shipped, 42 to\nan inner chipboard carton, with 24 inner cartons per outer shipping carton. Each\ncompleted carton has a mass not exceeding 30 kg and meets the general packaging\ncriteria of Sec. 173.24.\nA pallet of these outer cartons is shipped to a contractor who affixes the insert to a\nsturdy page, and these individual pages in turn are sent to a magazine binder. Once the\npages are bound into magazines, they are distributed to subscribers or retail outlets for\npublications.\nTesting. The inserts as inserted in magazines has been tested by PIRA, the UK\ntesting institute. PIRA conducted three distinct physical tests, performed sequentially on\nmagazines containing the inserts -- a 2.25 ton dynamic compression test, a series of drop\ntests to a maximum height of 60\", and a static compression test of a stack of magazines\nfor 24 hours. The PIRA Test Certificate is attached, showing the success of the inserts\nduring this test regimen.\nBased upon the nature of these inserts and their similarity to other small items\ncharacterized as not being subject to hazardous materials or dangerous goods regulations,\npoint of manufacture through delivery to the ultimate magazine reader. Please let me\nwe request a determination of de minimis status for the inserts in transportation, from the\nknow if you have any questions on this request.\nSincerely,\nEnclosures\n2","truncated":false,"body_characters":5740}