{"operation":"document","citation":"08-0208","title":"Baker Petrolite Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2008-09-25","effective_on":null,"summary":"08-0208 response to Baker Petrolite Corporation concerning 172.101.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-08-0208.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-08-0208.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-08-0208","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2008/080208.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials\nSafety Administration\n1200 New Jersey Ave., SE\nWashington, DC 20590\nMr. Aubrey R. Campbell\nSenior Transportation Specialist\nBaker Petrolite Corporation\n12645 West Airport Blvd.\nSugar Land, TX 77478\nRef. No.: 08-0208\nDear Mr. Campbell:\nThis responds to your letter dated August 1,2008, regarding requirements under the\nHazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 17 1-1 80) applicable to the use of\nDOT 5 1 portable tanks. Specifically, you ask if the provisions in $ 17 1.14(d)(4) and\n5 173.32(~)(2) allow for DOT 5 1 portable tanks to be used after January 1, 201 0.\nThe January 1, 2010, transitional provision in $ 171.14(d)(4) and grandfather provision in\n§ 173.32(~)(2) were added under Docket HM-215D (66 FR 33316; June 21,2001). The\nchanges made to 171.14(d)(4) allow, until January 1,2010, IM portable tanks to use the\n\"T\" Code special provisions listed in Column 7 of the Hazardous Materials Table (HMT;\n$ 172.101) that were in effect on September 30,2001. The revisions to $ 173.32(~)(2)\nclearly indicate that a DOT Specification 5 1, IM 101, or IM 102 portable tank may not be\nmanufactured after January 1, 2003. The revisions do not prohibit the use of DOT 5 1\nportable tanks after January 1, 20 10. In accordance with $ 172.102(a)(7), DOT 5 1 portable\ntanks are not subject to the \"T\" Code special provisions. Therefore, properly requalified and\nmaintained DOT 5 1 portable tanks that meet the design requirements in effect at the time of\nmanufacture and applicable special provisions (e.g. Special Provision B30 for minimum\nthickness) may continue to be used after January 1,2010 to transport authorized hazardous\nmaterials (see Column 8 of the HMT for information on authorized packagings).\nI hope this satisfies your inquiry. If we can be of further assistance, please contact us.\nSincerely,\nActing Chief, Standards Development\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Standards\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nBaker Petrolite P O ~ ~ C L b~ e' T~MLs\n12645 West Airport Blvd.\nSugar Land, Texas 77478\nP.O. Box 5050\nSugar Land 77487-5050\nTel281-276-5400\nFax 281-275-7385\nAugust 1,2008\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Standards\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration,\nAttn: PHH- 10\nU.S. Department of Transportation\nEast Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590-0001\nRe: Letter of Clarification\nDear Office of Hazardous Materials Standards:\nBaker Petrolite Corporation (BPC) is requesting a letter of clarification regarding the\n\"Sunset\" provision specified in Title 49 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) Part, .\n171.14(d)(4) and 173'.32(c)(2) regarding the.continued use of DOT 5 1 specification.\nportable tanks beyond January 1,2010.\nBPC uses DOT 51 portable tanks to ship UN 1092, Acrolein, stabilized, 6.1, (3), PG I, to\ndomestic and international destinations. Our DOT 5 1 portable tanks are periodically\ntested and inspected in accordance with 49 CFR Part 180. We are concerned about our\nability to continue to use the DOT 5 1 portable tanks beyond January 1,201 0.\nSpecifically, 17 1.14(d)(4) states, \"Until January 1,20 10 , a hazardous material may be\ntransported in an IM, IMO, or DOT 5 1 Specification portable tank in accordance with the\nT code (Special Provisions) assigned to a hazardous material in column (7) s f the\n171.101 Table in effect on September 30,2001 .\"\nQuestion # 1 : Is the intent of the \"sunset\" provision to eliminate the use of DOT 5 1\nspecification portable tanks after January 1,20 1 O?\nQuestion # 2: Is PHMSA considering extending the January 1,201 0 transition date with\nnew rule making?\n. . .\nWe . are . -. mainly concerned about the'fank-slieli :and.head thickngss . . ... of .. out D,OT-p.oflable\ntanks c~riipai-&d'to the- ciihent requii-ements ,of T ~0de.s ,722 ;and TP44. listed .&he\n172'10 1 fib16 hi' Spidal provisioi1iX6r shipping acrolein: Qur;DOT. 5 i:pQrtable tanks\nwere manufactured using \"carbon\" steel with a minimum shell thickness of %' inch\n(6.35mm). Special provision code T22 indicates a minimum shell thickness for\n\"reference\" steel of 10 mm for portable tanks.\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nSpecial provision code TP44 indicates a minimum shell thickness the greater of 7.62mm\nfor \"stainless\" steel UN portable tanks or the thickness required for a portable tank with a\ndesign pressure at least equal to 1.5 times the vapor pressure of the hazardous materials at\n46 degrees C (1 15 degrees F).\nQuestion # 3: May BPC continue to use our DOT 51 portable tanks, with the minimum\nshell thickness of % inch (6.35mm, carbon steel), beyond January 1,201 0 as long as we\nmaintain inspection and testing of tanks in accordance with 49 CFR Part 180?\nBPC currently uses a fleet of approximately 500 DOT 5 1 specification portable tanks to\nship acrolein. Based on our tank integrity testing results, the portable tank manufacturer\nhas indicated that our tanks have a remaining serviceable life of 30 to 40 years.\nAdditionally, we typically deal with relatively low pressures, as the acrolein is in liquid\nform rather than compressed gas, and the tanks leave our plant at 9- 12 psig, and are never\npressurized in field operations above 80 psig. Over the past 40 plus years, we have safely\ntransported thousand of tons of acrolein using these tanks. BPC would like your\nconsideration in allowing us to continue the use of these tanks, under a special permit if\nnecessary, while continuing to monitor their mechanical integrity for the remaining\neffective life of the tanks. The replacement of such a large tank fleet, which still has 30-\n40 years of serviceable life, would have a significant economic impact on BPC. We\nestimate the cost of purchasing new UN portable tanks at $8,000,000.\nPlease provide us a clarification regarding this issue, as January 1, 20 10 is rapidly\napproaching and the economics of addressing this issue must be addressed. Additionally,\nothers within the chemical manufacturing and transportation industries may have similar\nconcerns on the continued use of DOT 5 1 specification portable tanks.\nSincerely,\nBaker Petrolite Corporation\nAubrey GQV . Campbell\nSenior Transportation Specialist","truncated":false,"body_characters":6145}