# Energy Solutions — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 08-0148
- **title:** Energy Solutions — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2009-02-04
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 08-0148 response to Energy Solutions concerning 172.301.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-08-0148.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-08-0148.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-08-0148
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2008/080148.pdf
**body:**

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U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Ave.. SE
Washington, DC 20590
Mr. James H. Portsmouth
Manager, Traffic Manager/Regulatory Compliance
Energy Solutions
2345 Stevens Drive, Suite 240
Richland, WA 99354
Reference No. 08-0148
Dear Mr. Portsmouth:
This is in response to your letter regarding the hazard communication and specification
packaging marking requirements under the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR
Parts 17 1 - 1 80). Specifically, you request clarification on the marking requirements for
Industrial Packagings (IP), prescribed in 5 173.41 1, and DOT Specification 7A packagings,
prescribed in 5 178.3 50, for transporting Class 7 (radioactive) materials. We apologize for the
delay in responding and any inconvenience this may have caused. Your questions are
paraphrased and answered as follows:
Q1. When the consignor (offeror) is the packaging manufacturer, is the consignor required to
mark the completed package in accordance with 5 172.301(d) and again as the packaging
manufacturer in accordance with § 178.3, or is the consignor only required to mark the
completed package once to meet both requirements?
Al. The consignor's name and address may be entered once to comply with the hazard
communication marking requirements in 5 172.301 (d) and the package certification marking
requirements in § 178.3(a), provided the consignor of a hazardous material is also the person
certifying the package complies with all applicable HMR packaging design requirements.
Please note that although the HMR permit a single name and address to be used to represent a
person who is both the consignor and certifier of a hazardous material's packaging, this
marking typically appears twice, once near the hazard communication markings prescribed in
Subpart D of 49 CFR Part 172, and once near the package certification markings for a DOT
7A packaging prescribed in $5 178.3 and 178.350. In addition, other name and address
markings, e.g., from multiple vendors, third-party packaging certifiers, etc., may appear on
the packaging. It is the opinion of this Office that single or multiple name and address
markings on a packaging may make it difficult to determine the consignor and certifier of the
packaging, which may result in shipping delays or frustrated shipments. Therefore, we
recommend if single or multiple name and address markings occur on a packaging, the
consignor highlight, mark, or otherwise indicate the consignor's name. Also, because use of

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an exception or substitution permitted in one of these sections may not satisfy a marking
requirement in the remaining section, we recommend placing the consignor's name and
address in the package certification marking and not presenting this information as a PHMSA-
registered symbol.
42. What if the package is an IP or Specification 7A radioactive materials packaging, can it
be marked once with the consignor's name and address to satisfy both marking requirements?
A2. The answer is yes. (See A1 above.)
43. When a non-bulk packaging is manufactured and tested to meet the packaging design
requirements for both the Specification 7A, as prescribed in 9 178.350, and a UN standard
non-bulk packaging, as prescribed in Subpart L of 49 CFR Part 178, is the manufacturer's
marking certifylng compliance with the UN standard required to be removed, obliterated, or
covered when it is used as a Specification 7A radioactive materials packaging and the
consignor is the packaging manufacturer?
A3. No, if a package conforms to more than one DOT specification or UN standard, the
package may bear more than one package specification marking provided the packaging
meets all the requirements of each specification or standard. However, where more than one
package certification marking appears on a packaging, each marking must appear in its
entirety. See $ 178.3(c). The HMR do not prohibit a consignor fiom temporarily covering
package certification markings in a manner that does not damage or alter them. However, a
packaging that has its certifylng markings removed or obliterated is considered a non-
specification package under the HMR and may not be represented as meeting a performance-
oriented standard without being retested and recertified as meeting a DOT specification or UN
standard.
44. If the designer, fabricator (manufacturer), or tester of a Specification 7A radioactive
materials packaging marks the packaging with their company name and address or symbol
and they cannot certifj that all the requirements identified in 8 178.350 have been met, is the
marking required to be removed, obliterated, or covered?
A4. The HMR require, unless otherwise specified in 49 CFR Part 178, that the name and
address or symbol of a packaging's manufacturer or approval agency certifylng compliance
with a DOT specification or UN standard appear as part of the certification marking on a non-
removable component of the packaging. See $8 178.3(a)(2) and 178.350(c). However, the
HMR permit a manufacturer that is not certifylng a package as being manufactured to a DOT
specification or UN standard to place its name and address or symbol on the packaging
provided this information is not included as part of the packaging's certification marking.
Q5. As noted in $9 172.3 10, 178.3 and 178.350(b), each Class 7 (radioactive) material
packaging is required to be marked when the requirements of $ 178.350(c) are met. Many
manufacturers of packagings that will be used in the transport of Class 7 (radioactive)
materials are requested by their customers to apply the "DOT 7A, Type A" marking at the

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point of manufacture, even though they do not know the contents of the package. When are
these markings required to be applied to the Specification 7A packaging?
A5. The HMR require the packaging specification markings prescribed in $$ 178.3 and
178.350 to be applied to a Specification 7A packaging when the package has been
successfully tested and certified as meeting this packaging specification. The HMR also
require the hazard communication requirements for Class 7 (radioactive) materials prescribed
in $ 172.3 10 be applied at any time prior to the completed package being offered for
transportation.
Q6. When shipping an excepted quantity of radioactive material using the proper shipping
name "Radioactive material, excepted package-limited quantity of material," and the material
is loaded into a properly marked Type IP- 1 packaging, may the "TYPE IP- 1" marking
required under 172.3 10(b) be displayed on the package or is it required to be removed,
obliterated, or covered?
A6. In this scenario, the packages are excepted from specification marking in accordance
with $$ 173.421 and 173.422. Therefore, the "TYPE IP- 1" marking should not be displayed
and should be covered. If the "TYPE IP-1' certifying markings are removed or obliterated,
the packaging must not be represented as meeting this performance-oriented requirement
without being retested and recertified as meeting this standard. See Answer A3. In
accordance with $ 172.3 10(b), a package that does not conform to Type IP-1, Type IP-2, Type
IP-3, Type A, Type B(U) or Type B(M) requirements may not be so marked.
47. May the "TYPE IP- 1 " marking required by 8 1 72.3 1 0(b) be displayed or is the marking
required to be removed, obliterated, or covered when shipping a Class 7 (radioactive) material
as Low Specific Activity-I1 (LSA-11) with less than an A2 quantity?
A7. If you are shipping LSA-I1 material less than an A2 quantity in accordance with
$ 173.427(b)(4) in domestic transportation in exclusive use, the LSA material may be in a
Type IP-1 package and marked as such. If the shipment is not in domestic transportation or
not in exclusive use, it is then subject to the limitations of Table 6 of $ 173.427(e) and should
be marked according to the package type used.
I hope this satisfies your request.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Betts
Chief, Standards Development
of Hazardous Materials Standards

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May 14,2008
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards,
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Attention: PHH- 10
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 7" Street, SW
Washington, DC 20590-000 1
Subject: Clarification of Marking Requirements
To Whom It May Concern:
This letter is requesting clarification for the following questions regarding marking requirements
for Industry Packaging (IP) and Type A packagings.
I r
1. W e n required by Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 172.301 (d), either the
name or address of the consignee or'co~isignor shall be marked on the package. In
acldition, when the consignor is the packaging manufacturer, the name and address or
symbol of the consignor shall be marked on the package in accordance with
49 CFR 178.3. Does the consignor need to mark the package once per
49 CFR 172.301 (d) and again as the packaging manufacturer per 49 CFR 178.3, or does
the consignor only have to mark the Type A package once to meet both requirements?
, .
2. When a non-bulk packaging (i.e., box) is fabricated and tested to meet both Type A
requirements (49 CFR 178.350) and manufactured to meet UN non-bulk perfomance-
oriented packaging standards (49 CFR 178, Subpart L), does the manufacturer's marking
Gsed'for compliance to 49 CFR 178, Subpart L need to be removed, obliterated, or
covered when the packaging is used as a Type A radioactive material packaging and the
consigcor is the packaging manufacther?
3. If the'designer/fabricator/tester of the Type A packaging marks the packaging with their
company name and address, or symbol and they cannot certify that all the requirements
identified in 49 CFR 178.350 can be met,,does this marking need to be removed,
-
obliterated, . or . covered?
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:.: : I 2345 Stevens D~ive, Suite 240 Richland, WA 99354
509.371.8006 Fax: 509.371.1906 1.888.532.1330 www.energysolutions.com

<<<PAGE 5>>>

U.S. Department of Transportation
Page 2
May 14,2008
4. As noted in 49 CFR 172.310, 178.350(b), and 178.3, each packaging is marked when the
requirements of 178.350(c) are met. Many fabricators of packagings that will be used in
the transport of Class 7 materials are requested by their customers to apply the 7A
marking at the point of fabrication, even though they do not know the contents of the
package. When is the 7A marking to be applied to the packaging?
5. When shipping an excepted quantity of radioactive material (using Proper Shipping
Name "Radioactive material, excepted package-limited quantity of material") and the
material is loaded into an IP-1 packaging and marked as such, can the IP-1 marking
required by 49 CFR 172.310(b) be displayed or does this marking need to be removed,
obliterated, or covered? Note: P - 1 and except packaging performance based
requirements are the same.
6. Can the P - 1 marking required by 49 CFR 172.3 10(b) be displayed or does this marking
need to be removed, obliterated, or covered when shipping a Low Specific Activity-I1
(LSA-11) less than an A2 quantity? An P - 1 packaging meets all the performance based
requirements of 49 CFR 173.427(b)(4) for shipping this type of payload. However,
173.427(e) Table 6 states that an P - 2 package is required for LSA and SCO materials.
Please provide written clarification to the questions stated above. Your clarifications would be
appreciated.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this request, you can contact me at
(509) 376-7164, or on my cell phone at (509) 591-2932.
Sincerely,
James H. Portsmouth, Manager
Traffic ManagementRegulatory Compliance
jmt
EnergySolutions - D. J. Moak
J. A. Reeves
JHP FileILB
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