# DuPont Company — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 12-0194
- **title:** DuPont Company — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2013-01-16
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 12-0194 response to DuPont Company concerning 180.407, 180.409, 180.413.
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- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0194
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2012/120194.pdf
**body:**

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U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
JAN 1 ~ 2013
Mr. Randolph Martin
DuPont Company
4417 Lancaster Pike
BMP22/2222
Wilmington, DE 19805
Ref. No. 12-0194
Dear Mr. Martin:
This responds to your August 31, 2012 e-mail requesting clarification of the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to cargo tanks. Your
questions are paraphrased and answered as follows:
Q 1. What are the certification, education, or experience requirements, if any, for an
individual who merely replaces a reliefvalve on a Department of Transportation
(DOT) specification cargo tank that was rebuilt, tested, and calibrated by someone
else?
Al. None are prescribed. Section 180.407(a)(3) indicates that anyperson who witnesses
or performs a test or inspection specified in § 180.407 must meet the minimum
qualifications prescribed in§ 180.409, which include registration with the Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Administration in accordance with Part 107, Subpart F, ofthe
HMR. Additionally, a hazmat employee who repairs, modifies, reconditions, or tests
packagings, as qualified for use in the transportation of hazardous materials, and who
does not perform any other function subject to the requirements of the HMR, is
subject to the General Awareness/Familiarization, Function-Specific, and Security
Awareness training requirements prescribed in§ 172.704.
Q2. Once a relief valve is replaced,§ 180.413(c)(1) requires thatthe valve be tested for
leaks in accordance with§ 180.407(h)(l). Is the leakage test prescribed in
§ 180.407(h)(l) the only method authorized to satisfy this requirement?
A2. The answer is yes. The leakage test prescribed in § 180.407(h)(l) is the only leakage
test method that may be used to satisfy§ 180.413(c)(l).
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Q3. If alternate leakage test methods are authorized to satisfy§ 180.413(c)(l), where are
they defined, and are they prescribed at the discretion of the cargo tank owner?
A3. See A2 above.
I trust this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us ifwe can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
T. Glenn Foster
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division
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<<<PAGE 3>>>

Drakeford, Carol
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
INFOCNTR (PHMSA)
Friday, August 31,2012 4:12PM
Drakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)
FW: Information Update
Carolyn,
We received the following request for a formal letter of interpretation.
Thanks,
Victoria
From: Randolph Martin,·_·,. --''-''''"''·c'·''-''"-·'''·'"'''·'•-:.•:.c:· _,,,_._.,_. __ ,_ .... "".''
Sent: Friday, August 31, 2012 11:26 AM
To: INFOCNTR (PHMSA)
Cc: Thomas P Lokey; Thomas A Keefer; ,.,,_,.~"·-~~:--·''"'--'-'-"·'-"'"·"'':-•."'·'''·'-'•~··--· .. "''
Subject: Information Update
I spoke with someone in your offices on Monday about this issue and they suggested we request a written response. The
verbal response was that we are not required to use only the Leakage test defined in 180.407(h)(1).
We have a few questions concerning the replacement of relief valves on DOT -specification cargo tanks. We note that
under the definitions in 180.407, the replacement of a valve is not considered to be a Modification or a Repair, and there
is no definition of "maintenance".
First, are there any certification, education or experience requirements for individuals replacing the relief valves on DOT-
specification cargo tanks? If so, what are they?
This involves merely replacing a relief valve that has been rebuilt/tested/calibrated by someone else.
After the valve has been replaced, 180.413(c)(1) clearly requires that the valve be tested for leaks. 180.413(c)(1) also
indicates that this requirement is met when the Leakage test defined in 180.407(h )( 1) is performed, but does not seem to
indicate that this is the only acceptable test. Are other tests allowed?
If other tests are allowed, are the test parameters defined, or are they at the discretion of the cargo tank owner?
We appreciate your quick response. Thanks.
Randolph Martin
DuPont Company
4417 Lancaster Pike
BMP22/2222
Wilmington, DE 19805
302-992-3443
This communication is for use by the intended recipient and contains
information that may be Privileged, confidential or copyrighted under
applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby
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