# Schneider National Bulk Carriers, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 09-0196
- **title:** Schneider National Bulk Carriers, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2009-12-17
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 09-0196 response to Schneider National Bulk Carriers, Inc. concerning 171.15, 171.16.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0196.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0196.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-09-0196
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2009/090196.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
1200 New Jersey Ave" S.E
Washington, DC 20590
DEC 1 7 2009
Mr. Terry Tavares
Environmental Technician
Schneider National Bulk Carriers, Inc.
P.O. Box 2700
Green Bay, WI 54306-2700
Reference No. 09-0196
Dear Mr. Tavares:
This is in response to your August 3, 2009 letter requesting further clarification of the incident
reporting requirements in 49 CFR 171.16 of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49
CFR Parts 171-180). Specifically, you ask if incidents involving leaks from a customer's
piping or storage tank that occur during the time a hazardous materials is unloaded from a
cargo tank motor vehicle into a storage tank must be reported.
As required in § 171.16, each person in physical possession of a hazardous material at the
time an incident specified in § 171.16 occurs during transportation (including loading,
unloading, and temporary storage) must submit a Hazardous Materials Incident Report on
DOT Form F 5800.1 within 30 days of discovery of the incident. For purposes of the HMR,
transportation begins when a carrier takes physical possession of a hazardous material for the
purposes of transporting it and continues until the hazardous material is delivered to the
destination indicated on a shipping paper, package marking, or other medium. In the scenario
you describe, the material is considered to be in transportation and in the possession of the
carrier until delivery to the consignee is complete. Therefore, the carrier must complete and
submit a DOT incident report.
You also ask if a carrier is required to file a hazardous materials incident report in the
following four scenarios: (I) material is flowing through the customer's piping to their
storage tank and the piping develops a leak; (2) a leak in the customer's storage tank is
noticed during the unload; (3) the customer's storage tank overt1ows either due to a faulty
sight gauge or the plant operator miscalculated the amount of material in the storage tank; or
(4) the customer's storage tank overflows due to driver miscalculation or too much air
pressure. If these events occur while the hazardous material is being unloaded from the cargo
tank, the answer is yes. Ifscenarios 1, 3, and 4 occur after the carrier has departed the
premises, the carrier is not subject to the incident reporting requirements.

<<<PAGE 2>>>

For your information, there are certain exceptions from the incident reporting requirements.
As specified in § 171. 16(d), unless a telephone report is required under § 171.15, incidents
that do not require an incident report include the following:
1) A release of a minimal amount of hazardous material from a vent, for materials for
which venting is authorized; the routine operation of a seal, pump, compressor, or
valve; or connection or disconnection of loading or unloading lines, provided that the
release does not result in property damage. See § 171.l6(d)(l).
2) An unintentional release of hazardous material when the material is properly classed
as a Packing Group III material in Class or Division 3, 4, 5, 6.1,8, or 9, and the
material is not a hazardous waste. See § 171.16(d)(2).
I hope this satisfies your request.
Hattie L. Mitchell
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention
Office of Hazardous Materials Regulations
2

<<<PAGE 3>>>

Bulk Carriers,Inc.
August 3, 2009 ~Wlonson
~ 171. Jip
:enCI'd en t {2. -epa rt6
<J9-o ,ct&
Mr. Edward T. Mazzullo
Director, Office of Hazardous Materials Standards U.S. DOT/PHMSA (PHH-1 0)
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE East Building, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20590
RE: INTERPRETATION OF 49CFR §171.16
Dear Mr. Mazzullo:
We are a bulk transportation company. On behalf of our company and our customers, I would
like to receive written clarification of the incident reporting requirements in 49CFR § 171.16. On
two occasions I have called the Hazardous Materials Infonnation Center with certain scenarios
and received the same answer both times.
The majority of our deliveries from our cargo tanks are made to fixed storage tan1es at the
consignee using our product transfer hose and air pressure or a pump. I questioned the HMIC as
to whether or not we (as the transporter) were responsible for filing an incident report ifthe
storage tank or the customer's fill line develops a leak during the process of transferring the
product. Both times I was told yes because it happened during the process of unloading. Hence,
I have been reporting these incidents as required.
However, I have received conflicting views from the industry. Some facilities question whether
or not they are in possession of the product once the product is out of our transfer hose and into
their piping or storage tank, even though the unload is not complete and product is still flowing
through the transfer hose. They believe the transporter should not be responsible for any
reporting requirements because it would then fall under their facility reporting guidelines.
Please clarify ifthe transporter is required to file an incident report in the following scenarios
during a hazardous material unload from a cargo tank. In addition, please clarify if the quantity
of product spilled, or whether or not it spilled into a contailIDlent area around the storage tank,
has any bearing on the requirement to report.
• Product is flowing through the customer's piping to their storage tanle and the piping
develops a leak.
• A leak in the customer storage tank is noticed during the unload.
P.O Box 2700
Green Bay, Wisconsin 54306
920·592·5100
www.schneider.com 
 L.fJ,,_~".~"
••M._,,_ ,rResponsible Care® Partner Company
ISO 911111 2000
P4828006

<<<PAGE 4>>>

Bulk Carriers,Inc.
• The customer's st rage tank overflows due to a faulty sight gauge or the plant operator
miscalculated the amount in the storage tank.
• The customer's storage tank overflows due to driver miscalculation or too much air
pressure.
Your attention to this request and formal guidance is greatly appreciated. Please do not hesitate
to call or email me if more information is needed. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Ms. Terry Tavares
Environmental Technician
Schneider National Bulk Carriers, Inc.
PO Box 2700
Green Bay, WI 54306-2700
920-592-3326
tavarest(a~schnei der. com
P.O Box 2700
Green Bay, Wisconsin 54306
920-592-5100 f
www.schneider.com L. i ~ A Chemical Manufaclurers Assoclallon , r Responsible Care® Partner Company
ISO ~11 24101)
Certificate Number 3{l410
P4828006
- **truncated:** false
- **body characters:** 6500