# Parsons Corporation Newport Chemical Depot NECDF — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 09-0124
- **title:** Parsons Corporation Newport Chemical Depot NECDF — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2009-07-22
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 09-0124 response to Parsons Corporation Newport Chemical Depot NECDF concerning 171.8, 173.3.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0124.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0124.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0124
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2009/090124.pdf
**body:**

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U.S. Department of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
JUL 2 2 2009
1200 New Jersey Ave, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20590
Mr. Lawrence S. Thompson
Waste Manager
Parsons Corporation
Newport Chemical Depot NECDF
Highway 63 South, P.O. Box 5 19
Newport, IN 47966
Ref. No. 09-0124
Dear Mr. Thompson:
This responds to your April 6,2009 letter requesting clarification of the applicability of the
Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 17 1-1 80) to materials designated as
"hazardous wastes" by the State of Indiana. Specifically, you ask whether chemical
munitions, including VX (0-ethyl-S (2-diisopropylaminoethyl) methyl phosphonothiolate),
designated as hazardous wastes under state law are considered hazardous wastes for purposes
of the HMR.
According to your letter, the 2003 State of Indiana Hazardous Waste Annual Update
amended 329 IAC 3.1-6-3 to clarify that chemical munitions are acute hazardous wastes.
You state that this amendment provided that the chemical munitions listed in this section
must be managed in accordance with requirements for acute hazardous wastes in the
hazardous waste program. You ask if you are correct in your understanding that it is
appropriate to manage these chemical munitions under the HMR as a hazardous waste.
The answer is no. As defined in the HMR, a "hazardous waste" is any material that is subject
to the hazardous waste manifest requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) specified in 40 CFR Part 262. Materials that are not subject to the EPA manifest
requirements are not hazardous wastes under the HMR. Note that nothing in the HMR
prohibits a state from "managing" these materials as state-designated hazardous wastes so
long as the state does not require the material to be identified as a "hazardous waste" on the
manifest. Note as well that if the chemical munitions described in your letter meet any of the
DOT hazard class definitions in Part 173, they are subject to all applicable HMR
requirements for that hazard class.
Shipping descriptions from the HMR may not be used to describe a non-EPA waste material
on a state manifest document. Thus, the word "waste" may not precede the basic description
for a DOT regulated hazardous material when the material is not an EPA hazardous waste.
Use of the word "waste" preceding the basic description indicates that the material is a
federally regulated hazardous waste. However, a shipping name from the HMR may be used

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following the word "waste" so long as the hazard class number, LJN or NA identification
number, and packing group number are not included in the description of the waste material.
Nothing in the HMR prohibits a state from imposing requirements on EPA-designated waste
materials that are in addition to those required by EPA regulations so long as these additional
requirements do not interfere with the actual movement of the waste. Thus, states may
require certain additional information on the manifest form. However, this additional
information may not be made mandatory during transportation of the material, and states may
not apply enforcement sanctions on the transporter during transportation for any failure of the
manifest to show optional state information entries.
I hope this answers your inquiry.
harles E. Betts
ief Standards Development k
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards

<<<PAGE 3>>>

Highway 63 South P.O. Box 519 Newport, Indiana 47966-0519 (765) 245-5802 Fax: (765) 245-5801 www.parsons.com
April 6, 2009
COG: 12742
Mr. Edward T. Mazzullo
Director, Office Hazardous Materials Standards
U.S. DOTRHMSA (PI-IH- 10)
1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
East Building, Second Floor
Washington, D.C. 20590-0001
Re: Letter of Interpretation Request for State of Indiana Regulated Hazardous Waste
Dear Mr. Mazzullo:
49 CFR 171.8 defines a hazardous waste as any material subject to the Hazardous Waste Manifest
Requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency specified in 40 CFR part 262.
Sections 3006 and 3009 of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended (RCRA) (42
U.S.C. 6926 and 42 U.S.C. 6929, respectively) allow a state to administer and enforce a state
hazardous waste program. The US EPX has authorized the State of Indiana to administer the state
RCRA program in lieu of the federal RCRA program.
The 2003 State of Indiana Hazardous Waste Annual Update amended 329 IAC 3.1-6-3 to clarify
that chemical munitions including VX (0-ethyl-S-(2-diisopropylaminoethyl) methyl
phosphonothiolate) are acute hazardous wastes. This amendment provided that chemical munitions
listed in this section must be managed in accordance with the requirements for acute hazardous
wastes in the hazardous waste program.
As the State of Indiana is authorized by the USEPA to administer the state RCRA program in lieu
of the federal RCRA program; and, as the State of Indiana requires chemical munitions including
VX to be managed as acute hazardous wastes subject to all RCRA requirements, do you concur
that it is appropriate to continue management of these materials under the HMR as a hazardous
waste?
I am requesting a written response to this question to keep on file should this determination ever be
in question. Thank you for time and assistance in this matter.
Parsons Corporation Waste Manager
Newport Chemical Depot NECDF
Highway 63 South, P.O. Box 5 19
Newport, IN 47966
(765) 215-5354
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