{"operation":"document","citation":"10-0164","title":"Edgcomb Law Group — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2010-10-13","effective_on":null,"summary":"10-0164 response to Edgcomb Law Group concerning 173.156.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-10-0164.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-10-0164.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-10-0164","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2010/100164.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials\nSafety Administration\n1200 New Jersey Ave, Sf\nWashington, D.C. 20590\nOCT 1 3 2010\nMr. John Edgcomb\nEdgcomb Law Group\n115 Sansome Street, Suite 700\nSan Francisco, CA 94104\nRef. No.: 10-0164\nDear Mr. Edgcomb:\nThis responds to your letter dated July 23, 2010 regarding the requirements for shipping a\n\"Consumer commodity, ORM-D\" material in accordance with the Hazardous Materials Regulations\n(HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180). According to your letter, your client is a pharmaceutical\ndistributor, and proposes to unitize products classified as \"Consumer commodity, ORM-D\" into\nsecurely fastened, plastic boxes (\"totes\") for delivery from its distribution centers to its customers\nby contract carrier. On occasion the contract carrier delivers the unitized products to a cross-dock\nunder exclusive use by the motor carrier or your client where the unitized products are transferred to\nmUltiple smaller private carriers to be delivered directly to the customers. You ask, would the\nexception from marking in § 173.156(b)(1) apply to these ORM-D materials.\nConsumer commodity, ORM-D materials may be transported utilizing the exceptions in\n§ 173.156(b)( I), including the exception from the marking requirements of Subpart D of Part 172\n(i.e., \"ORM-D\" marking), provided the material is (1) unitized in cages, carts, boxes, or similar\noverpacks; (2) offered for transportation or transported by rail, private or contract motor carrier; or\ncommon carrier in a vehicle under exclusive use for such service; and (3) transported to or from a\nmanufacturer, a distribution center, or a retail outlet, or transported to a disposal facility from one\nofferor. The exception in § 173.1 56(b)(1) applies to ORM-D material provided all ofthe conditions\nare satisfied. The exception may be used when unitized ORM-D products are transferred from one\ntransport vehicle to another at a cross-dock location, provided both carriers qualify for the exception\nin accordance with condition (2) above, and the materials remain unitized in accordance with\n§ 173. I 56(b)(1),(i.e. , the material is not removed from the unitized boxes and totes when transferred\nto the smaller carriers at the cross-dock location).\nI hope this information is helpful. If we can be of further assistance, please contact us.\nSincerely,\n~5~·\nBen Supko\nActing Chief, Standards Development\nOffice ofHazardous Materials Standards\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\n115 Sansome Street, Suite 700\nSan Francisco, California 94104\n415.399.1555 direct\n415.399.1885 fax\njedgcom b@edgcomb-law.com\nBY OVERNIGHT MAIL\nJuly 23, 2010\nMr. Edward T. Mazzullo\nDirector, Office of Hazardous Materials Standards\nU.S. DOT/PHMSA (PHH-I0)\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, D.C. 20590-0001\nRe: Request for Interpretation of 49 C.F.R. § 173.l56(b)\nDear Mr. Mazzullo:\nI write to request your guidance regarding the applicability ofthe exception to the\nmarking requirements for ORM-D materials provided in 49 C.F.R. § 173.156(b) to a specific\nscenario.\nSection 173.1 56(b)(1)(ii) and (iii) state, in relevant part, that the ORM-D marking\nexception applies when a package is transported by \"[p]rivate or contract motor carrier\" and\n\"[t]ransported to or from a manufacturer, a distribution center, or a retail outlet.\"\nOur client, a large pharmaceutical distributor, unitizes products classified as ORM-D\n(consumer commodity) materials into boxes/plastic totes for delivery to its customers. Our client\ncontracts with a dedicated motor carrier, which sometimes delivers these boxesl plastic totes to a\ncross-dock under exclusive use by the motor carrier or by the client itself. At the cross-docking\nlocation, the totes are then separated into individual local routes on smaller dedicated private\ncarriers to be delivered directly to customers. Thus, the boxes/totes remain under the control of\nthe dedicated motor carriers or our distributor client until ultimately delivered to our client's\ncustomers.\nWe seek your confirmation that in this cross-docking factual scenario, the exception to\nthe ORM-D marking requirement described in § 173.156(b)(1) still applies.\nThank you for your attention to this request. We look forward to your response.","truncated":false,"body_characters":4228}