{"operation":"document","citation":"05-0254","title":"United States Department of Energy — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2006-01-17","effective_on":null,"summary":"05-0254 response to United States Department of Energy concerning 173.457, 173.459.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-05-0254.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-05-0254.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-05-0254","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2005/050254.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nS. Departme\nTransportatic\nWashington, D.C. 20590\n400 Seventh Street, S.W.\nPipeline and\nAdministration\nHazardous Materials Safety\nJAN 17 2006\nMr. Dennis Ashworth\nRef. No. 05-0254\nDirector\nOffice of Transportation\nOffice of Environmental Management\nUnited States Department of Energy\n1000 Independence Ave S.W.\nWashington, DC 20585\nDear Mr. Ashworth:\nThis is in response to your September 23, 2005 letter requesting clarification of the\nHazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) regarding the\napplicability of fissile material exceptions. Specifically, you request clarification of the\nlanguage of the exception and the wording proposed by the U.S. delegation at the recent\nfissile material exception provisions in § 173.453 (f) of the HMR. You cite the existing\nInternational Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Transport Safety Standards Committee\n(TRANSSC) meeting for inclusion in the international regulations as follows:\n• 49 CFR 173.453(f): \"Packages containing, individually, a total plutonium mass\nof not more than 1000 grams, of which not more than 20 percent by mass may\nconsist of plutonium-239, plutonium-241, or any combination of these\nradionuclides.\"\n• Proposed IAEA wording: \"Packages containing no more than 20% of fissile\nnuclides by mass up to a maximum of 1 kg of plutonium per consignment\"\nThe intent of § 173.453(f) is to allow shipments of plutonium (not uranium) as fissile-\n(in a total mass less than 1 kg) and the large number of Pu-238 sources being shipped.\nThe new wording was proposed at the recent TRANSSC meeting to clarify that, as long\nas the total quantity of fissile nuclides (plutonium or uraniur) is less than 20% of the\ntotal plutonium mass, the shipment can be excepted. Note, however, that this exception\nis still intended for shipments of plutonium with certain characteristics (limited quantity\n173.457\n050254\n173.459\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nof fissile nuclides); this exception is NOT intended to allow shipment of large quantities\nof uranium with \"some\" plutonium included\nI hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if you require additional assistance\nSincerely,\nShic, Standards Development\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nRelerford\nDepartment of Energy\n3173.4457\nWashington, DC 20585\n§173.459\nETES OF AN\nRAM\nSeptember 23, 2005\n05-0254\nMr. Edward T. Mazzullo, PHH-10\nDirector, Office of Hazardous Materials Standards\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\nU.S. Department of Transportation\nAttention: DHM-10\n400 7* Street SW,\nWashington, D.C. 20590-0001\nDear Mr. Mazzullo:\nThe purpose of this letter is to request an interpretation of the Department of\nTransportation (DOT) Fissile Materials Exceptions requirements as mentioned in\nthe Title 49, Part 173.453.\n49 CFR Part 173:\nFissile materials meeting the requirements of at least one of the paragraphs (a)\nthrough (f) of this section are excepted from the requirements of this subpart for\nfissile materials, including the requirements of 173.457 and 173.459, but are\nsubject to all other requirements of this subpart, except as noted.\n(a)...(e)..\n(f) Packages containing, individually, a total plutonium mass of not more than\nplutonium-239, plutonium-241, or any combination of these radionuclides.\n1000 grams, of which not more than 20 percent by mass may consist of\nWe seek clarification of the language in the subsection (f) to prevent\nmisclassification of packages containing plutonium and other fissile nuclides.\nRecently, the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Transportation along with\nInternational Atomic Energy Agency's Transport Safety Standards Committee\nDOT and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) participated in the\n(TRANSSC) meeting held in Vienna, Austria, from September 5-9, 2005. The\nDelegation on fissile exceptions related to packages containing a total plutonium\nTRANSSC accepted the following revised language by the United States\nmass of 1 kilogram.\n(f) Plutonium containing no more than 20% of fissile nuclides by mass up to a\nmaximum of 1 kg of plutonium per consignment.\nBy changing to \"fissile nuclide\", the presence of fissile uranium is adequately\nconsidered regardless of whether it is present as a separate isotope or decay\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\n2\nproduct of uranium. Since DOE is a major shipper of radioactive materials, your\nearly consideration of the proposed language change would be greatly appreciated\nby DOE.\nIf you need additional information, please contact me at (202) 586-8548, or\nMr. Ashok Kapoor of my staff at (202) 586-8307, (e-mail:\nashok.kapoor@hq.doe.gov).\nSincerely,\nOr Chinch\nDennis Ashworth\nDirector\nOffice of Transportation\nOffice of Environmental Management\ncc: Frank Marcinowski, EM-10\nAshok Kapoor, EM-11","truncated":false,"body_characters":4688}