{"operation":"document","citation":"12-0157","title":"Perkins Coie — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2012-09-25","effective_on":null,"summary":"12-0157 response to Perkins Coie concerning 173.150, 173.22.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0157.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0157.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0157","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2012/120157.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, D.C. 20590\nSEP 2 5 2012\nMr. Christopher J. Sutton\nPerkins Coie\n1900 Sixteenth Street, Suite 1400\nDenver, CO 80202-5255\nRef. No. 12-0157\nDear Mr. Sutton:\nThis responds to your July 16, 2012 letter requesting clarification of the exceptions for Class\n3 flammable liquids under the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Pmis 171-\n180). In your letter, you describe an ethanol-water solution containing less than 24% ethanol\nand greater than 50% water by volume. Additionally, the solution contains two non-\nhazardous additives in concentrations less than 2%. Both additives have flash points above\n100 oc and are not a hazardous substance, hazardous waste, or marine pollutant.\nSpecifically, you ask whether the ethanol-water solution qualifies for exception from the\nHMR requirements offered under § 173 .150( e) for aqueous solutions of alcohol.\nSection 173.22 of the HMR states that a shipper is required to properly class and describe the\nhazardous material in accordance with Parts 172 and 173 of the HMR .. We do not perform\nthis function. However, based on the information provided, it is our opinion that the aqueous\nsolution of ethanol as described in your letter qualifies for the exception under § 173 .150(e ).\nSpecifically, an aqueous solution containing 24% or less alcohol by volume and no other\nhazardous material is not subject to the HMR if the solution contains no less than 50% water\nbyvolume(see§ 173.150(e)(2).\nI hope this information is helpful. If you have further questions, please contact this office.\nSincerely,\n,~g~\nChief, Standards Development Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\n1er tl_,nderey1\n§173. 160\n~tccep+rons\nl'--0151\nPerkins\nCoie\n1900 Sixteenth Street, Suite 1400\nDenver, CO 80202-5255\nPHONE: 303.291.2300\nFAX: 303.291.2400\nwww.perkinscoie.com\nJuly 16, 2012\nSENT VIA OVERNIGHT FEDEX\nBen Supko\nActing Chief, Standards Development\nU.S. Department of Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Standards\n1200 New Jersey Ave, S.E.\nWashington, D.C. 20590\nRe: Confirmation of Exemption from Hazardous Materials Regulation\n49 C.F.R. §173.150(e)\nDear Mr. Supko:\nI am seeking confirmation on behalf of my client, Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. (\"AEI\"), that\nan ethanol-water solution is exempted under of 49 C.F .R. § 173 .150( e) of the Hazardous\nMaterials Regulations (\"HMR\") for purposes of shipping the product by truck or rail only.\nThe ethanol-water solution contains less than 24% ethanol by volume and more than 50% water.\nThe closed cup flash point of the ethanol-water solution is 110° F. The solution is used as\ncoolant solution rather than for consumption. The ethanol-water solution contains two non-\nhazardous additives in very low concentrations which are described below. AEI will ship up to 6\ngallons of the ethanol-water solution by ground transportation only (i.e., truck or rail) in a single\ndevice or container.\nThe first additive to the coolant solution is for leak detection. It is a fluorescent dye used for\nwater-based fluids. The additive is made up of deionized water (75-95%) and dye (5-25%). The\ndye additive has a flash point of 93.3° C. The second additive is 2-Mercaptobenzothiazole or\n\"MBT.\" MBT is used as an antibacterial/antifungal agent. MBT has a reported flash point of\n252°C. The cocentrations of the two additives in the ethanol-water solution is typically below\n2%. No other hazardous materials are present in the solution. At the concentrations used in the\nethanol-water solution (less than 2%), neither additive is a hazardous waste or a \"marine\npollutant\" as defined under 49 C.F.R. §173.150(±)(2) ofthe HMR.\nANCHORAGE· BEIJING· BELLEVUE· BOISE· CHICAGO· DALLAS· DENVER· LOS ANGELES· MADISON· PALO ALTO\nPHOENIX· PORTLAND· SAN DIEGO· SAN FRANCISCO· SEATTLE· SHANGHAI· WASHINGTON, D.C.\nPerkins Coie LLP\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nMr. Ben Supko\nJuly 16, 2012\nPage 2\nBased on the foregoing description of the product, please confirm that the ethanol-water solution\nqualifies for the exemption for aqueous solutions of alcohol under § 173 .150( e) of the HMR.\nSincerely\"\n\\\nChristopher J. Sutton","truncated":false,"body_characters":4277}