# Magna Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 08-0191R
- **title:** Magna Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2009-06-23
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 08-0191R response to Magna Corporation concerning 171.8, 172.101.
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- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-08-0191r
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2008/080191R.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Ave, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20590
Mr. Devon Schwalm, CHMM
Magna Corporation
39600 Lewis Drive Suite 2000
Novi, Michigan 48377
Ref. No. 08-0191R
Dear Mr. Schwalm:
This further responds to your July 22, 2008 letter requesting clarification of the hazardous
substance requirements under the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts
171-1 80). Specifically, you asked for guidance on determining whether an
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hazardous waste is a DOT hazardous substance
if the hazardous constituents are known and not listed in Appendix A to 5 172.101.
After additional consideration of the questions in your July 22,2008 letter and
discussions with EPA staff, we are withdrawing o w October 30,2008 letter. We are
replacing the interpretation provided in that letter with the following information
concerning the process for determining whether an EPA hazardous waste is a hazardous
substance when hazardous constituents are not listed in Appendix A to 8 172.101
("Appendix A") for purposes of the HMR.
Appendix A, which lists materials and their associated reportable quantities (RQs), is
identical to EPA's listing of hazardous substances and RQs in 40 CFR Table 302.4. EPA
lists or designates hazardous substances and assigns an RQ to the hazardous substance
where applicable under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA) for the purpose of reporting a
release or discharge of these hazardous substances into the environment (see 42 U.S.C.
9602; 33 U.S.C. 1321). CERCLA section 306(a) also requires DOT'S Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to list EPA hazardous substances
and regulate them as hazardous materials. For purposes of the HMR, a material listed in
Appendix A is regulated as a hazardous material and a hazardous substance if it meets the
definition of a hazardous substance in 5 171.8.
Appendix A includes materials which are listed by name and by waste stream. The waste
streams, as designated by EPA, include unlisted hazardous wastes that are assigned an
EPA hazardous waste number based on exhibiting any of the characteristics of a
hazardous waste identified in 40 CFR 261. These characteristic hazardous wastes are
designated as CERCLA hazardous substances. For example, an unlisted waste that
exhibits the characteristic of ignitability is assigned the EPA hazardous waste number
D001. The release of mixtures or solutions (including hazardous waste streams) of

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hazardous substances is subject to EPA notification requirements in accordance with 40
CFR 302.6(b)(l). In addition to the conditions for notification of a release of a mixture
and solution, EPA has advised that, for example, an unlisted hazardous waste that
exhibits the characteristic of ignitability (i.e., a DOOl waste) that is not otherwise listed at
40 CFR Table 302.4 is subject to notification requirements based on the 100 pound RQ
for DO01 waste. Your questions are paraphrased and answered as follows:
Ql . I am transporting a drum (400 lbs.) of spent isopropanol(50%) and ethanol (50%).
The hazardous waste is a DOT Class 3 (flammable liquid) and is assigned EPA waste
number DO01 (RQ = 100 lbs.). Since the waste constituents and the concentrations are
known, this hazardous material is not a hazardous substance since isopropanol and
ethanol are not listed in Appendix A. Is this correct?
Al. No. Although neither isopropanol nor ethanol is listed in Appendix A, if the mixture
exhibits the hazardous waste characteristic of ignitability under 40 CFR 26 1.2 1, it is a
DOOl waste with an RQ of 100 pounds. When the quantity of the material in the drum
equals or exceeds the RQ of 100 pounds, the material is a hazardous substance for HMR
purposes.
Q2. I am transporting a drum (400 Ibs.) of spent isopropanol and ethanol. The hazardous
waste is a DOT Class 3 (flammable liquid) and is assigned EPA waste number DO01 (RQ
= 100 lbs.). Since the waste constituents are known and even though the concentrations
are not known, this hazardous material is not a hazardous substance since isopropanol
and ethanol are not listed in Appendix A. Is this correct?
A2. See Al.
Q3. I am transporting a drum (400 Ibs.) of a mixture of spent isopropanol, ethanol, and
methanol. The hazardous waste is a DOT Class 3 (flammable liquid) and is assigned
EPA waste numbers DO0 1 (RQ = 100 lbs.) and F003 (RQ = 100 lbs.). Since all the waste
constituents are known and even though the concentrations are not known, this hazardous
material is not a hazardous substance since isopropanol and ethanol are not listed in
Appendix A and the amount of methanol in the drum is less than the RQ for methanol
(5,000 lbs.). Is this correct?
A3. No. Although neither isopropanol nor ethanol is listed in Appendix A and methanol
is listed in Appendix A, if the hazardous material exhibits the hazardous waste
characteristic of ignitability under 40 CFR 261.2 1, it is a DOOl waste with an RQ of 100
pounds. Since none of the concentrations are known, the lowest RQ must be used to
determine whether the material is a hazardous substance. When the quantity of the
material in the drum equals or exceeds the RQ of 100 pounds, the material is a hazardous
substance for HNIR purposes. We note that according to EPA hazardous waste

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requirements, a mixture of spent isopropanol, ethanol, and methanol would not be
assigned EPA waste number F003.
I hope this information is helpful. If you have hrther questions, please do not hesitate to
contact this office.
Sincerely,
&U T?+
Edward T. Mazzullo
Director
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards

<<<PAGE 4>>>

Drakeford, Carolyn <PHMSA> From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
b e r k l f i d e ~ n
INFOCNTR <PHMSA>
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 10:OO AM
Drakeford, Carolyn <PHMSA>
FW: Information Center CommentslQuestions
Carolyn,
A request for a written letter of interpretation.
Thanks,
Rob
----- Original Message-----
From: devon schwalm@magna.on.ca [mailto:devon - schwalm@magna.on.ca]
Sent: ond day, July 21, 2008 4:53 PM
To: INFOCNTR <PHMSA>
Subject: Information Center Comments/Questions
Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by Devon Schwalm
(devon~schwalm@magna.on.ca) on Monday, July 21, 2008 at 16:53:25.
Name: Devon Schwalm
Category: Hazardous Materials Table, Special Provisions, Hazardous Materials
Communications
Organization: Magna Corporation
Street: 39600 Lewis Drive, Suite 2000
City: Novi
State: Michigan
Zip Code: 48377
Phone: 248-567-;$I53
Fax: 248-567-1103
Comments: Request for Letter of Interpretation:
I have been unable to find recent PHMSA guidance on determining if a EPA Hazardous Waste
is a DOT Hazardous Substance for wastes being shipped by highway that do not contain any
materials listed in the 49 CFR 172.101 Table 1 to Appendix A. I would also like
clarification for hazardous wastes that contain listed Hazardous Substance constituents
and constituents not listed on the Hazardous Substance table.
I would like written interpretation on the following three scenarios':
Scenario #1: I am transporting a drum (400 lbs.) of spent Isopropanol (50%) and Ethanoi
(50%). The hazardous waste is DOT Class 3 and EPA waste code DO01 (RQ=100 lbs.). Since
the waste constituent and the concentration are known, this hazardous material is not a
hazardous substance since Isopropanol is not llsted in the Hazardous Substance Table. I
this correct?
Scenario #2: I am transporting a drum (400 lbs.) of spent Isopropanol and Ethanol. The
hazardous waste is DOT Class 3 and EPA waste code DO01 (RQ=100 lbs.) . Since all the waste
constituents are known and even though the concentrations are not known, this mixture is
not a Hazardous Substance since Isopropanol and Ethanol are not listed in the Hazardous
1

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Substance T a b l e . Is t h i s c o r r e c t ?
S c e n a r i o # 3 : I am t r a n s p o r t i n g a drum (400 l b s . ) of a m i x t u r e o f s p e n t I s o p r o p a n o l ,
Ethanol and Methanol. The hazardous w a s t e i s DOT C l a s s 3, EPA waste code DO01 (RQ=100
l b s . ) and F003 ( R Q = 100 l b s . ) . S i n c e a l l t h e w a s t e c o n s t i t u e n t s a r e known and even though
t h e c o n c e n t r a t i o n s a r e n o t known, t h i s m i x t u r e is n o t a Hazardous S u b s t a n c e s i n c e
Isopropanol and E t h a n o l a r e n o t l i s t e d i n t h e Hazardous Substance TabAe and t h e amount of
Methanol i n t h e c o n t a i n e r is below t h e RQ ( 5 , 0 0 0 l b s . ) . Is t h i s c o r r e c t ?
P l e a s e respond b a c k w i t h a w r i t t e n i n t e r p r e t a t i o n on t h e s e t h r e e waste shipment s c e n a r i o s .
S i n c e r e 1 y ,
Devon Schwalm, CHMM
Magna C o r p o r a t i o n
39600 Lewis D r i v e , S u i t e 2000
Novi, Michigan 48377
(248) 567-5183
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