# Argonne National Laboratory — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 12-0068
- **title:** Argonne National Laboratory — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2012-05-09
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 12-0068 response to Argonne National Laboratory concerning 172.202, 172.203, 172.602.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0068.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0068.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0068
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2012/120068.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington. DC 20590
MAY 0 9 2012
Mr. Lee Stevens
Argonne National Laboratory
9700 South Cass A venue
Argonne, IL 60565
Ref. No. 12-0068
Dear Mr. Stevens:
This responds to your February 28, 2012 email and your subsequent April24, 2012
conversation and email with Lisa O'Donnell, a member of my staff, regarding the
applicability ofthe Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180).
Specifically, you ask if the requirements of§ 172.602(a)(l) and§ 172.602(b)(3) are met by
entering the Guide Number page of the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) on the
shipping paper in association with the listing of the hazardous material and attaching the
Guide Number page to the shipping paper.
The answer is no. Section 172.602(a)(1) states that the emergency response information
must contain the basic description and technical name of the hazardous material as
required by§§ 172.202 and 172.203(k). Section 172.602(b)(3) requires that the
emergency response information is presented (i) on a shipping paper; (ii) in a document,
other than a shipping paper, that includes both the basic description and technical name of
the hazardous material; or (iii) related to the information on a shipping paper, in a separate
document (e.g., an emergency response guidance document), in a manner that cross-
references the description of the hazardous material on the shipping paper with the
emergency response information contained in the document.
If a Guide Number page from the ERG is used, it must include the basic description and, if
applicable, the technical name ofthe hazardous material. However, if the entire ERG is
present on the transport vehicle, the requirements of§ 172.602(a)(l) and§ 172.602(b)(3)
are satisfied and, though not prohibited, you are not required to entering the Guide Number
page on the shipping paper in association with the listing of the hazardous material.
I hope this answers your inquiry. If you have further questions, please contact this office.
OJ;
Ben Supko
Acting Chief, Standards Development Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division

<<<PAGE 2>>>

Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)
From: INFOCNTR (PHMSA)
Sent:
To:
Subject: Thursday, March 01, 2012 5:59 PM
Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)
FW: Hazmat Information Center Feedback: Emergency Response Information (Sections
172.1 &ndash; 172.807)
Hi Carolyn,
We received the following request for a letter of interpretation.
Thanks,
Victoria
Victoria Lehman
Hazmat Information Center (HMIC)
http://phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/info-center
(202) 366-1035
-----Original Message-----
From: PHMSA-Feedback
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 12:43 PM
To: PHMSA HM InfoCenter; PHMSA Webmaster
Subject: Hazmat Information Center Feedback: Emergency Response Information (Sections 172.1
&ndash; 172.807)
In looking at a previously submitted intepretation on 172.682(b) regarding the method of
providing emergency response information (PHMSA Interpretation #09-0215) is the following
scenario compliant with the requirements of 172.602?
A reference (example: "ERG 137, attached") to the appropriate ERG number(s) for the hazardous
materials being shipped is entered on the shipping paper (Hazardus Materials Bill Of Lading
or Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest, etc) in association with(after)the basic description for
each applicable Proper Shipping Name (PSN) entered on the shipping paper.
Attached to the shipping paper (which goes with the driver) are copies of the applicable
Guide Number page(s) from the current Emergency Response Guide Book for the Guide Numbers
listed on the shipping paper as being attached.
As is customary, the Guide Number is located on the top of each page and would be the method
by which the basic descriptions (including any technical names) for the material would be
cross referenced with the Guide number(s) on the attachments. (In this scenario the page for
ERG 137 would be attached to the shipping paper).
Is this method a compliant way of providing the information required in 172.602 (a)(1) and
(b)(3) since the appropriate basic description and any technical name(s) are all included in
the shipping paper and can be cross referenced to the Guide number and vice versa?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Name: Lee Stevens
Organization: Argonne National Laboratory
Email: stevensl@anl.gov
Address: 9700 South Cass Avenue
1

<<<PAGE 3>>>

City: Argonne
Zip Code: 60565
Phone: 630-252-2061
FAX: 630-252-9232
2
- **truncated:** false
- **body characters:** 4541
