# Paxton Company — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 08-0054
- **title:** Paxton Company — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2008-06-16
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 08-0054 response to Paxton Company concerning 171.8, 173.154.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-08-0054.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-08-0054.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-08-0054
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2008/080054.pdf
**body:**

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U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
Mr. George Plum
Paxton Company
1 1 1 1 Ingleside Road
P.O. Box 12103
Norfolk, VA 23502
Ref. No.: 08-0054
Dear Mr. Plum:
This is in response to your February 27,2008 e-mail and subsequent telephone conversation
with a member of my staff requesting clarification of the Hazardous Materials Regulations
(HMR; 49 CFR Parts 17 1 - 180) requirements applicable to flammable liquids. Your questions
are paraphrased and answered below.
Ql: A Class 3, PG I1 material and a Class 8, PG I1 material described as UN1263, Paint and
UN3066, Paint Related Material, respectively, are packed in inner receptacles that are 1 -quart
andlor 1 -gallon metal cans which are placed in non-specification fiberboard outer packaging.
The outer packaging is marked "Paint Limited Quantity". Does this shipment meet the
limited quantity provisions?
Al. No. The limited quantity provisions for Class 8 materials in Packing Group I1 authorize
inner packagings that do not exceed 1 L net capacity (see 9 173.154(b)). Similarly, the
limited quantity provisions for Class 3 materials in Packing Group I1 authorize inner
packagings that do not exceed 1 L (about 1 quart) net capacity (see 4 173.150(b)(2)). Thus,
neither UN3066, Paint Related Material, Class 8, Packing Group 11, nor UN1263 Paint, Class
3, Packing Group 11, packed in 1-gallon inner packagings may be shipped as limited
quantities. However, both materials may be shipped as limited quantities if the strong outer
packaging only contains 1 -quart inner packagings.
Q2: If the inner receptacles (mix of quart and gallon sized receptacles) from the original
strong outer packaging described in Q1 are removed and shipped in a different strong outer
packaging, would this subsequent shipment still meet the limited quantity provisions?
A2. No. See A1 above.
43: A shipment described as "UN1170, Ethanol, Class 3, PGII" is received in a combination
packaging with quart sized metal cans. The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for this

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material states: "FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR HOUSEHOLD USE. NOT
INTENDED OR PERMITTED FOR DRINKING BEVERAGE PURPOSES." Based on the
information specified above, would this material be considered a "consumer commodity" as
defined in the HMR?
A3: Yes. Section 171.8 defines a consumer commodity as "a material that is packaged and
distributed in a form intended or suitable for sale through retail sales agencies or
instrumentalities for consumption by individuals for purposes of personal care or household
use." Regardless of the wording on the MSDS, this material could meet the definition of a
consumer commodity based on its packaging size.
44: If inner receptacles fiom the package described in 4 3 were removed from the outer
packaging and reshipped in a different stronger outer packaging, may this subsequent
shipment be renamed "Consumer Commodity" and reclassed as "ORM-D?
A4: Yes.
I hope this information is helpful. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to
contact this ofice.
Sincerely,
Hattie L. Mitchell
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards

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Drakeford, Carolyn <PHMSA> 173#/56
From: INFOCNTR <PHMSA>
TO: Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 2:27 PM
Drakeford, Carolyn <PHMSA> Subject: FW: Request for Interpretation 49 CFR Parts 171 -1 80 4 i ~ ~ ~ ~ ' l r ~ ~ /
"08 -0b5q
From: George Plum [mailto:georgep@paxtonco.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:53 PM
To: INFOCNTR <PHMSA>
Subject: Request for Interpretation 49 CFR Parts 171-180
1T7853 6'781 g&,YI13 -
Paxton Co. is a Marine Supply Wholesale Distributor located in Norfolk,VA. We do intra and
interstate shipments of Havnat along the mid-Atlantic
coast, as part of our normal distribution business. Most of the Hazmat is carried in company owned
vehicles with company employee drivers.However
some of the shipments to our out of state distribution centers are by common carriers.
Our customers are in three general categories: * marinas- who sale to end users
* boat/ ship repair facilities- who are end users
* boat builders- who are end users
We receive the following types of material from manufacturers for further distribution:
UN 1263 Paint class 3 pg I1
LN 3066 Paint Related Material class 3 pg 11
These items are recejved from the manufacturer in non-spec fiberboard boxes outerpackaging, with
quart or gallon metal cans interpackaging.
The outerpackaging is marked "Paint Limited Quantity"
Question (1) Does this material meet the criteria for Paint Limited Quantity for reshipping in
commerce?
(2) If the interpackaging is reshipped in quantity of one quart or gallon or multiple there of,
does it meet the criteria for Paint Limited Quantity?
We, also receive the following type of material from a manufacturer for further distribution:
UN 11 70 Ethanol class 3 pg 11
This item is received from the manufacturer in non-spec fiberboard boxes outerpackaging with quart
metal cans interpackaging The
outerpackaging is marked "Consumer Commodity" ORM-D .
Question (3) Does this product meet the criteria for Consumer Commodity ORM-D ?
Note: The MSDS (Section 16 ) for this product states, "FOR INDUSTRIAL USE ONLY.
NOT FOR HOUSEHOLD USE.
NOT INTENDED OR PERMITTED FOR DRINKING BEVERAGE PURPOSES."
(4) If the interpackaging is reshipped in quart or gallon or mu.ltiple there of does it meet the

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criteria for Consumer Commodity ORM-D ?
Thank you for your assistance.
George Plum
geor~ep@paxtonco:~o-m
11 11 lngleside rd. Norfolk ,VA 23502
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