# Los Alamos National Laboratory — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 11-0038
- **title:** Los Alamos National Laboratory — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2011-04-21
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 11-0038 response to Los Alamos National Laboratory concerning 173.403, 173.433.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-11-0038.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-11-0038.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-11-0038
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2011/110038.pdf
**body:**

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U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
.APR ? 1 2011
Mr. Donald Thorp
Engineering Manager
Los Alamos National Laboratory
P.O. Box 1663, MS A194
Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545
Ref. No.: 11-0038
Dear Mr. Thorp:
This responds to your February 15, 2011 letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180). Specifically, you ask if any ofthe
general packaging requirements in § 173.24 apply to a consignment containing radionuclides
in quantities that do not exceed both the activity concentration and the total activity limits
specified in the table in § 173.436 or the values derived according to the instruction in
§ 173.433.
The answer is no. Radioactive Material (see § 173.403) means any material containing
radionuclides where both the activity concentration and the total activity in the consignment
exceed the values specified in the table in § 173.436 or values derived according to the
instructions in § 173.433. Based on the information you provide, the consignment is not
regulated as a Class 7 (radioactive) material under the HMR because it does not meet the
definition ofradioactive material. Therefore, provided the material contained in the
consignment does not otherwise meet the definition of a hazardous material in § 171.8, the
packaging used for the consignment described in your letter is not subject to the HMR
(including § 173.24).
I trust this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely, 11 'f
I,;;~
Ben Supko
Acting Chief, Standards Development Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division

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Packaging and Transportation /1- t){}J$
P.O. Box 1663, MS A194
Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 Date: February 15; 2011
(505) 66S-8628fFax (505) 667-9829 Refer To: P&T: ll-008
Ml'. Charles E. Betts
Director, Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
U.S. DOTIPHMSA (PHH-lO)
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE East Building, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20590
Subject: REQUEST FOR INTERPRETATION, 49CFR 173.433 AND § 173.24
Dear Mr. Betts:
This cOlTespondence was initiated by a non-conformance receipt inspection of a shipment of low level waste at the
Energy Solutions LLC waste facility at Clive, Utah in November 2010. lIthe radlonuclicles in a consignment do
not exceed both the activity concentration and the tofal activity limits specified in the table in 49 CFR 173.436 or
the values derived according to the instructions in 49 CFR 173.433 are any ofthe general requirements for
packagings and packages specified in 49 CFR 173,24 applicable?
Thank yOlt for your consideration of th is question and the time and effort your organization takes to provide a
response. I look forward to your formal clarification which can be sent to me at dUhorp@lanl.gov. Please contact
me at 505-665-2713 if you have questions.
Sincerely,
Donald Thorp
Engineeting Manager
Operations SupportlPackaging and TransPQltation
DT/pjt
cy:
Gilbert Torres,OS-PT, gtorres@1anl.gov IRM-RMMSO, AlSO
Jose Chavez, OS-PT,chavezjose@lanl.gov OS-PT RecOl'ds, A194
James Angelo, OS-PT, jangelo @lan1.gov
Tamer Armin, WDP-HMWO, tamer@lanl.gov
Robert Murpby, LASQ-SO, rmurphy@lanl.gov
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