{"operation":"document","citation":"12-0271","title":"Fred Guimond & Associates — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2013-02-21","effective_on":null,"summary":"12-0271 response to Fred Guimond & Associates concerning 173.22.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0271.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0271.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-12-0271","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2013/120271.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\nMr. Fred Guimond\nFred Guimond & Associates\n2838 Crater Lake Drive\nBaton Rouge, LA 70814\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, D.C. 20590\n~FB 2 1 20D\nReference No.: 12-0271\nDear Mr. Guimond:\nThis is in response to your December 3, 2012 letter posing several questions concerning the\napplicability of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 17I-180) to the\nmetal, Selenium. Your questions are paraphrased and answered below:\nQ I. Is Selenium (in shot fonn) with a diameter greater than 100 micrometers and a purity of\nat least 99.95% classified as a hazardous material even though it does not meet or exceed the\nreportable quantity (RQ) of a hazardous substance in § 172.101 Table I to Appendix A?\nAI. As provided in§ 173.22, it is the shipper's responsibility to properly classify a\nhazardous material. Such determinations are not required to be verified by this office.\nHowever, based on your information that the diameter of the described Selenium shot is\ngreater than 100 micrometers and the RQ for Selenium is limited to those pieces smaller\nthan 100 micrometers in diameter, the entry for UN3077, Environmentally hazardous\nsubstance, solid, n.o.s., class 9, would not be applicable in your case. Further, based on the\nMSDS provided and industry standard test results for Selenium shot indicating the LDso for\nacute oral toxicity is 6700 mg/kg, it is the opinion of this office that the described Selenium\nshot does not meet the definition of a Division 6.1 material and, provided it does not meet\nthe criteria for any other hazard class, is not subject to the HMR\nQ2. Can the hazard label be removed if it is on a package shipped to us?\nA2. See A1. No person or carrier may offer or transport a package bearing a label unless the\npackage contains a hazardous material and the label represents the hazard of the material\n(§ 172.401(a)). However, when offered for transportation, a package containing a hazardous\nmaterial shall be labeled in accordance with Part 172, Subpart E and as provided in\n§ 173.22, it is the shipper's responsibility to properly classify a hazardous material.\nI trust this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.\nI\ninserely,\nelmer;~\nSenior Regulatory Advisor\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nWiener\n<jt7/.9 A . .\n~ t/2. 101 ppltccd~d~t£4\nDec. 3, 2012 J Z .. DZ.~ /\nFred Guimond & Assoc.\n2838 Crater Lake Drive\nBaton Rouge, LA 70814\nTo: Dr. Magdy El-Sibaie\nAssoc. Admin.-Haz. Matis. Safety\nEast Bldg. Second floor, E-24-446\n1200 New Jersey Ave. SE\nWashington, D.C. 20590\ntel. (225)922-7400\nfax (225)922-7409\ne-mail\nDear Dr. El-Sibaie\nThis letter concerns your designation of the metal, Selenium. We trade worldwide in all the\nmetals in the Lead family, and this includes Se.\nRight now, our suppliers are shipping us Se metal in the form of Shot. These are like shotgun\nsize pellets, or BB's, about 1/8 inch diameter. These are all solid metal of standard commercial\npurity of99.95% min. Se content. They are NOT a compound ofSe.\nThe ONLY category ofSe in your lineup is for \"Selenium-compound, solid, NOS\". This calls\nit a hazardous material, class 6.1, UN# 3283. Yet, in your addendum (cents sign) it says Se is\nNOT hazardous if it is over 100 microns in size. This is basically Se powder that is under 100\nmicrons. Se metal shot is OVER 100 microns in size.\nOur question is: Is Selenium metal-shot hazardous???\nIf it is truly NOT; are we allowed to remove a hazardous label if it is on a drum/pail of Se-\nshot shipped to us??\nIt seems to us that your main category of \"Selenium-compound\" is exclusionary. Why is\nthere no main category for \"Selenium-metal, solid\"??? You do this for LEAD, why not Se??\nYour attention to this is important, as the metal producers right now are putting Haz. Labels\non Se metal-shot shipments, and we think this is wrong, and is not needed. Could you give us a\ncall after reviewing all this?? We would like to discuss it further.","truncated":false,"body_characters":4059}