{"operation":"document","citation":"09-0142","title":"Westinghouse Electric Company LLC — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2009-09-11","effective_on":null,"summary":"09-0142 response to Westinghouse Electric Company LLC concerning 173.22.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0142.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0142.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0142","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2009/090142.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials\nSafety Administration\n1200 N e w Jersey Ave, S.E.\nWashington, O.C. 20590\nSEP 1 1 2009\nMr. Michael D. Alston\nWestinghouse Electric Company LLC\nPrincipal Hazardous Materials Engineer\n4350 Northern Pike\nMonroeville, PA 15 146-2886\nRef. No.: 09-01 42\nDear Mr. Alston:\nThis responds to your June 1 1, 2009 letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous Materials\nRegulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 17 1 - 180) pertaining to the selection of a proper shipping\ndescription for your material. Specifically, you ask for the appropriate shipping description\nfor Zirconium alloy chips and turnings fiom manufacturing processes.\nAccording to your letter, the chips and turnings are mechanically produced fine-to-course\nchips and ribbons which are larger than 53 microns (0.002 inches). You have conducted\nlaboratory tests that indicate the materials are Division 4.1 (Flammable solid) in either\nPacking Group I1 or 111. Based on your laboratory tests and regulatory research you have\ndetermined that \"Metal powders, n.0.s.\" is the most suitable proper shipping name because it\nprovides the most relevant description, hazard class, and packing group and an appropriate\nreference to guide 170 of the ERG for emergency responders.\nUnder $ 173.22, it is the shipper's responsibility to class and describe a hazardous material.\nThis Office does not perform that function. However, based upon the information contained\nin your letter, it is the opinion of this Office that \"Metal powders, flammable, n.0.s.\" is an\nappropriate proper shipping description for the material you describe.\nI f you believe that the existing proper shipping descriptions in the HMR are not appropriate\nfor your material, you may submit a petition to amend the HMR in accordance with the\nprocedures set forth in 49 CFR Part 106.\nCharles E. Betts\nChief, Standards Division\nof Hazardous Materials Standards\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\n(@ westinghouse 5/12. 16 1 Westinghouse Legal & Contracts, Electric Environment, Company Health &Safety\nP.O. Box 355\nPittsburgh, PA\nU.S.A.\nJune 1 1,2009\nU.S. Department of Transportation\nPHMSA Office of Hazardous Materials Standards\nAttn: PHH-10\nEast Building\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590-0001\nDear Sir or Madame,\nWestinghouse is requesting a letter of interpretation regarding the proper shipping name for\nzirconium alloy chips and turnings from manufacturing processes at Westi~lghouse facilities and\nvendors in C~nnecti~cut, Pennsyjy~ia, South Carolina and Utah. These chips and turnings can\nbe described as mechanically produced fine-to-coarse chips and ribbons which are larger than 53\nmicrons (0.0'02 i ' ~ ~ c h e s ) i ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ v e r e c e n t l ~ concluded that there is no clearly appropriate\ncombination of teqhnical?des~rjption, hazard class and division, UN number and packing group.\nOur sources within the induStrjSindicate that \"Zirconium scrap, 4.2, UN 1932, PG III\" is 'a very\ncommonly used shipping;naine for zirconium chips and turnihgs. That name historically has\nbeen used for Westinghouse shipments. However, our latest laboratory tests and regulatory\nresearch have demonstrated that o& &q.turnings do not )meet either of the Division 4.2\ncriteria for spontaneously combustible materill.- bur data indicates that ~i$ision 4.1; flammable\nsolids, and packing Group II~cii'III ire applicable to these materials. More specifically, under\ncertain conditions the zirconium chipsJ7and turnings would be readily combustible solids which\ndo not cause a fire through friction, such as with matches.\nThere are four Division 4.1 proper shipping names in the Hazardous Materials Table [HMT]\nwhich are potentially applicable to oiir zfrconium chips\"md turnings:\n, , / , ;, . , > . , , .\nZirconium, dry, coiled wi&, re,finiihed m i d , ~ h i e t ~ , strb,,[thiAer . ,.. than 254 microns but\nnot thinner than * . 18rr$crons], 4.1, UN 2858; . PG, . 111 . ; ... ; I , - J 8\nZirconium'powder, wetted with not'less than 25 percent water [a visible excess of water\nmust be present] ~a)fm~chanically produced, particle size less than 53 microns; (b)\nchemically prodyc.zd,,particle, size less than 840 microns, 4.1, UN 1358, PG I1\ni\n~l&able\"'?&lid$hd@i%i&, n.o.s.,,4. 1 , UN 3 178, PG I1 or I11 , .\n. < .\n..,. , .\n!., .a *.,r;!:;r':~ ;:,~\".:,<'i,;:?,;:. , ~ . ' < , : , I i .,: I ; ..\nMetal- powdeys; -fl@np~ble,.n.o.s., 4.1, UN 3089, PG I1 or 111 . ,. , . i!. \" .'\nThe technical nafne \"Zirconiun;, dry\" is inappropriate because it is limited to Packing Group 111.\n\"Zirconium, wetted\" is'inappropriate\"because the mechanically produced Kne-to-coarse chips\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nand ribbons are larger than 53 microns [0.002 inches]. \"Flammable solid, inorganic\" would\nappear to provide a suitable generic description, but Guide 133 of the 2008 Emergency Response\nGuidebook [ERG], which pertains to that shipping name and UN number, provides the\npotentially inappropriate recommendation to use water spray, fog, or foam for a large fire. Our\nexperience is that ignited zirconium may separate water applied from a fire hose into hydrogen\nand oxygen and ignite them. As such, we are concerned that a responder could unintentionally\nworsen the situation by working in accordance with the ERG, whose use is prominently featured\nand often required in firefighter and haza-dous materials technician training.\n\"Metal powders, flammable, n.0.s.\" therefore appears the most suitable proper shipping name by\nprocess of elimination, and because it provides the most relevant technical description [\"powder\"\nis not a defined term in 49 CFR 17 1, 172 or 1731, hazard class and division, packing groups and\nUN number as well as the associated emergency response instructions. Guide 170 of the 2008\nERG, which pertains to that shipping name as well as many zirconium, hafnium, and other\nflammable metal listings in the HMT, warns that dousing metallic fires with water may generate\nhydrogen gas while providing appropriate guidance for fire suppression.\nWe consequently would appreciate an interpretation on two points:\n1. Whether \"Metal powders, flammable, n.0.s.\" is, in fact, the proper shipping name under\nthese circumstances, and;\n2. Whether these circumstances highlight a gap in the HMT, in which case a new technical\ndescription and UNINA number would be appropriate.\nThank you for your timely consideration of this request.\nSincerely,\n~ i c h i e l D. Alston, Principal Hazardous Materials Engineer\nWestinghouse Electric Company LLC\n4350 Northern Pike\nMonroeville, PA 15 146-2886\n(4 12) 3 74-4652","truncated":false,"body_characters":6562}