# LANXESS Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 14-0022
- **title:** LANXESS Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2014-04-24
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 14-0022 response to LANXESS Corporation concerning 171.4.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-14-0022.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-14-0022.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-14-0022
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2014/140022.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
APR 2 4 2014
Ms. Cyndi Fink
Distribution Safety Manager
LANXESS Corporation
111 RIDC Park West Drive
Pittsburgh, P A 15275
Ref. No. 14-0022
Dear Ms. Fink:
This responds to your January 16, 2014 request for clarification on transporting marine
pollutants under the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CPR Parts 171-180).
Specifically, you ask if placards must be removed from containers containing non-bulk
packages of marine pollutants transported using the exception in § 171.4.
In accordance with § 171.4, non-bulk packages of marine pollutants being transported by
highway, rail, or aircraft are not subject to the HMR. In your incoming letter, you note that a
previous interpretation (Ref. No. 01-0288) states "when utilizing the§ 171.4 exception
markings that were required to be affixed to the packages for transportation by vessel need not
be removed or covered for subsequent transportation by other modes." You ask if one is
required to remove placards from a shipping container when such a shipping container is
transported under the exception provided in § 1 71.4.
The exception in § 171.4 does not require you to remove the marine pollutant markings by
highway, rail, or aircraft.
I hope this answers your inquiry. If you need additional assistance, please call this office at
(202) 366-8553.
Sincerely,
Robert Benedict
Chief, Standards Development Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division

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LANXESS
Energizi·rig Chemistry
U.S. DOT
PHMSA Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
Attn: PHH-1 0
East Building
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE.
Washington, DC 20590-0001
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Subject: Letter of Interpretation Clarification Request
To Whom It May Concern:
As stated in 49CFR 171.4(c), Class 9 Marine Pollutants (as defined in 49CFR171.8) in non-bulk
packages are exempted from being regulated for transport within the US. In the letter of
interpretation 1 0-0288 regarding marking and labeling of Class 9 Marine Pollutants, you state that
these materials in non-bulk packages are not subject to the requirements of the HMR, and therefore,
"they are not subject to the requirements for shipping papers, markings, labels or placards when
transported by highway, rail or air."
In addition, this letter of interpretation states that "the markings that were required to be affixed to the
packages for transportation by vessel need not be removed or covered for subsequent transportation
by other modes."
While this letter of interpretation states that marks and labels on individual packages do not need to
be removed or covered, it does not address placards. Is it necessary to remove placards from
containers (i.e., an ocean freight container filled with individual non-bulk packages) when being
transported as an exempted marine pollutant within the US? Stating the question differently, if
placards remain on this container, must it be transported according to the HMR even if the material
within the container is exempted by 49CFR171.4(c), or is it acceptable to transport as non-regulated?
I request a letter of interpretation on this matter. Thank you for your assistance.
January 16, 2014
LANXESS Corporation
Cyndi Fink
Industrial and Environmental Affairs
111 RIDC Park West Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15275
Phone: 412-809-4774
Fax: 412-809-1056
Email: cyndi.fink@lanxess.com-
www.us.lanxess.com
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Cyndi Fink
Distribution Safety Manager ·
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