{"operation":"document","citation":"12-0186","title":"URS Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2012-11-11","effective_on":null,"summary":"12-0186 response to URS Corporation concerning 173.159.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0186.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0186.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0186","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2012/120186.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue SE\nWashington. DC 20590\nMr. Andy Romach\nURS Corporation\n1600 Perimeter Park Drive\nMorrisville, NC 27560\nRef. No.: 12-0186\nDear Mr. Romach:\nThis responds to your August 16, 2012 letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous\nMaterials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to the transport of wet\nelectric storage batteries by highway. Specifically, you are requesting clarification of the\nexception provided in § 173.159( e) and if partial use of this exception is permissible.\nThe answer is yes, provided compliance with all of the requirements specified in\n§ 173.159(e)(1)-(4) is met. When transported by highway or rail, electric storage batteries\ncontaining electrolyte or corrosive battery fluid are not subject to any other requirements of\nthe subchapter if: (1) no other hazardous materials may be transported in the same vehicle;\n(2) the batteries must be loaded or braced so as to prevent damage and short circuits in\ntransit; (3) any other material loaded in the same vehicle must be blocked, braced, or\notherwise secured to prevent contact with or damage to the batteries; and (4) the transport\nvehicle may not carry material shipped by any person other than the shipper of the\nbatteries.\nRegarding your question concerning partial use of this exception, properly marking or\nlabeling a crate of batteries or placarding a transport vehicle when using this exception is\nnot a violation of the HMR. However, we do not recommend partial use of this exception\nbecause it can create confusion in the enforcement or emergency response community that\nmay result in issuance of a ticket or frustration of your shipment.\nI trust this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.\nSincerely,\n6~~2//U~~ -.---·····\nT. Glenn Foster\nChief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nAugust 16,2012\nN ~~~els\n~ 173. 15q(ej\nBa H~rie.s\nIZ- 0 t'{(p\nMr. Charles Betts\nDirector, Office of Hazardous Materials Standards\nPipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA)\nU.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)\n1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 2nd Floor\nWashington, DC 20590-0001\nEmail: charles.betts@dot.gov\nRE: Request for Regulatory Interpretation for 49 CFR 173.159(e)\nDear Mr. Betts:\nI am writing to request a written regulatory interpretation concerning the scenario below:\nWe would like to ship batteries taking advantage of the exception in 49 CFR 173.159(e), which\nallows shipment of batteries as not subject to the hazardous material regulations when shipped by\na dedicated transporter with no other hazardous materials onboard the vehicle, and batteries and\nother materials securely blocked and braced.\nThe batteries we would like to ship are received from the manufacturer packaged in crates,\nmarked with the UN number and proper shipping name \"UN2795, Batteries, Wet, Filled with\nAlkali\" and display a Corrosive hazard label.\nIf we ship these batteries following all of the requirements set out in 49 CFR 173 .159( e )(1)\nthrough (4), are we allowed to leave the hazard markings (UN number and proper shipping\nname) and Corrosive hazard label applied to the crates?\nBased on a call to the Info Center, Adam advised that there is no prohibition listed in 49 CFR\n173 .159( e) that would require the hazard markings and hazard label to be removed. Please\nconfirm that we would be allowed to leave the hazard markings and label on the crates during\ntransport when shipping under the exception set out in 49 CFR 173.159(e).\nI appreciate your assistance.\nSincerely,\nAndy Romach, DGSA\nRegulatory Compliance Manager\nURS Corporation\nURS Corporation\n1600 Perimeter Park Drive\nMorrisville, NC 27560\nTel: 919.461.1220\nFax: 919.461.1371\nAndy. romach@urs.com","truncated":false,"body_characters":3870}