{"operation":"document","citation":"13-0157","title":"MHF Services — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2013-12-19","effective_on":null,"summary":"13-0157 response to MHF Services concerning 173.401.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-13-0157.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-13-0157.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-13-0157","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2013/130157.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\nDEC J 9 2013\nMr. William Dawson\nMHF Services\n4500 Brooktree Road, Suite 200\nWexford, PA 15090-9289\nRef. No. 13-0157\nDear Mr. Dawson:\nThis responds to your July 25, 2013 letter regarding the applicability of the Hazardous\nMaterials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) to the transportation of naturally-\noccurring radioactive material (NORM). In your letter, you indicate that drilling and\nextraction processes by the oil and gas exploration and development industry may generate\nNORM (and technically enhanced NORM). Specifically, you ask if the exception for\nnatural material and ores containing NORM in§ 173.401(b)(4) applies to the waste\nmaterial generated in this industrial process that contains Radium-226 and -228 in the form\nof a solidified sludge from a fracking water collection pit; or a filter cake from treatment\nand recycling of fracking water.\nThe answer is no. The exception does not apply to the NORM-containing waste material\ngenerated from the industrial process you describe in your letter. Moreover, the waste\nmaterial you describe is no longer considered \"natural material\" because of the industrial\nprocessing. The term \"natural material\" in § 173.401 (b)( 4) means material existing in a\nform as it would otherwise in nature, not in a form manipulated by human application. The\nfracking water is not a natural material nor is the radionuclide-containing solidified sludge\nfrom the fracking water collection pit or the radionuclide-containing filter cake from\ntreatment and recycling of the fracking water. Thus, the exception in § 173.401 (b)( 4) does\nnot apply and the waste material is subject to the HMR if the activity concentration of the\nradionuclides in the waste material and the total activity in the consignment exceed the\nvalues specified in§ 173.436 or values derived according to the instructions in§ 173.433\nof the HMR. See the definition of radioactive material in § 173.403.\nI hope this information is helpful. If you have further questions, please contact this office.\nsv;~/L-\nb {\\. Charles rfetF 0 v\nDirector,\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nMHFe\n4500 Brooktree Road, Suite 200, Wexford, PA 15090-9289\n724.772.9800 (T) ~- 724.772.9850 (F) ll<\"\"www.mhfservices.com\nJuly 251 2013\nMr. Charles E. Betts\nDirector1 Standards and Rulemaking Division\nU.S. DOT/PHMSA (PHH-10)\n1200 New Jersey Avenue1 SE East Building1 2nd Floor\nWashington, DC 20590\nMr. Betts:\nI am requesting your clarification in regards to the shipment of waste materials generated in\nthe Oil & Gas exploration and development industry. Naturally occurring radiological materials\n(NORM) and technically enhanced NORM (TENORM) can be generated from the drilling and\nextraction process with the principal radiological components Radium-226 and Radium-228.\nThe materials to be transported are typically wastes generated as 1) solidified sludge that has\nsettled in fracking water collection pits, or 2) filter cake from the treatment or recycling of\nfracking waters.\nDoes the 10-times exemption in 49 CFR 173·401(b)(4) apply to this material?\n49 CFR 173·401(b)(4): This subpart does not apply to: (4) \"Natural material and ores containing\nnaturally occurring radionuclides which are not intended to be processed for use of these\nradionuclides, provided the activity concentration of the material does not exceed 1.0 times the\nvalues specified in 1.73-4]6.11\nThank you.\nSincerely/\nMHF Services\nWilliam Dawson","truncated":false,"body_characters":3579}