{"operation":"document","citation":"14-0037","title":"Patton Boggs LLP — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2014-03-12","effective_on":null,"summary":"14-0037 response to Patton Boggs LLP concerning 173.159.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-14-0037.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-14-0037.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-14-0037","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2014/140037.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\nMAR 1 2 2014\nMs. Carolina Mederos\nPatton Boggs LLP\n2550 M Street, NW\nWashington, DC 2003 7\nRef. No.: 14-0037\nDear Ms. Mederos:\nThis responds to your February 12, 2014letter and previous conversations with members of\nmy staff requesting clarification of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts\n171-180) applicable to the configuration of wet batteries on a pallet. In your letter, you\npropose two non-specification packaging configurations for highway transport and ask\nwhether they comply with the provisions of the HMR as provided in§ 173.159(d), that\nauthorize the use of non-specification packagings for batteries packed without other materials.\nYour configurations are paraphrased below:\nConfiguration # 1\nBatteries are placed on the bottom layer of a pallet. Battery terminals are protected with non-\nconductive caps or tape in compliance with§ 173.159(a)(2) of the HMR. The batteries are\nnot in a box or a slip cover; therefore, this configuration is not utilizing the non-specification\npackagings authorized by§ 173.159(d)(3)-(7). Strong corrugated cardboard or rigid plastic is\nplaced on top of this bottom layer of batteries and then shrink-wrapped with the batteries. If\nthe batteries do not fill the entire pallet area, empty cardboard or plastic boxes are used to fill\nthat space to ensure the batteries are securely cushioned and packed to prevent shifting. The\nempty boxes could include inert packing material. On top of the shrink-wrapped battery layer\nwe may place a shrink-wrapped layer of other items, hazmat or non-hazmat, with all hazmat\nitems properly packaged according to the appropriate HMR packaging provision. All layers\nare shrink-wrapped together to ensure the entire load is secure. Each layer is capable of\nsupporting the weight of the layer or layers on top.\nConfiguration #2\nThis configuration involves the use of two pallets. Batteries are placed on a pallet and shrink-\nwrapped to the pallet to secure the batteries from movement. Battery terminals are protected\nwith non-conductive caps or tape in compliance with§ 173.159(a)(2) of the HMR. No\nmaterials other than the batteries are placed on the pallet, regardless of whether the batteries\nfill up the entire pallet area. The batteries are not in a box or a slip cover; therefore, this\nconfiguration is not utilizing the non-specification packagings authorized by § 173.15 9( d)(3 )-\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\n(7). This pallet of batteries is placed on top of another pallet, which may hold one or more\nlayers of non-battery items, hazmat and non-hazrnat, with all hazmat items properly packaged\naccording to the appropriate HMR packaging provisions. The two pallets are shrink-wrapped\ntogether to ensure the entire load is secure.\nBased on the information and diagram provided in your letter, Configuration #2 would meet\nthe conditions and requirements of§ 173 .159( d)(1) for highway transport provided all\nrequirements of§ 173.159(a) were also met. In accordance with§ 173.159(d)(l), the electric\nstorage batteries may be firmly secured to skids or pallets capable of withstanding the shocks\nnormally incident to transportation. The height of the completed unit must not exceed 1 12\ntimes the width of the skid or pallet. The unit must be capable of withstanding, without\ndamage, a superimposed weight equal to two times the weight of the unit or, if the weight of\nthe unit exceeds 907 kg (2,000 pounds), a superimposed weight of 1814 kg (4,000 pounds).\nBattery terminals must not be relied upon to support any part of the superimposed weight and\nmust not short out if a conductive material is placed in direct contact with them.\nFurthermore, as specified in paragraph § 173 .159( a), electric storage batteries and any battery\nor battery-powered device must be prepared and packaged for highway transport in a manner\nto prevent: (1) a dangerous evolution of heat; (2) short circuits; and (3) damage to terminals.\nI trust this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us ifwe can be of further assistance.\nSincerely,\ntJm /~, _,:2· ~:··_)\nt~ ' _t.~\n\"'\"• .. '·· -\nD1 ector, Standards and Rulemaking Division\n2\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\n:\nNt~kek\nPATTON B066Sl~\nATTORNEYS AT LAW\n~!13·~'q·\nBa ·t-kne~\njti- 00:31\n2550 M Street, NW\nWashington, DC 20037-1350\n202-457- 6000\nFacsimile 202-457-6315\nwww.pattonboggs.com\nFebruary 12,2014\nBY ELECTRONIC MAIL\nMr. T. Glenn Foster\nChief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Standards\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE- East Building\nWashington, DC 20590-9898\nDear Mr. Foster:\nWe want to express our gratitude for the cooperation and assistance offered by you and your\ncolleagues over the past several weeks in our effort to obtain clear and practical guidance on\ntransporting batteries on a pallet, from a distributor to retail outlets, in compliance with HMR\n173.159. At our last meeting, we discussed two non-specification packaging scenarios. We\nwould appreciate your views on whether these scenarios comply with HMR 173.159( d).\nScenario #1\nBatteries are securely placed on the bottom layer of a pallet on a truck. Battery terminals\nare protected with non-conductive caps or tape in compliance with HMR 173.159. The\nbatteries are not in a box or a slip cover. Either strong corrugated cardboard or rigid\nplastic is placed on top of this bottom layer of batteries and then shrink-wrapped with the\nbatteries. If the batteries do not fill the entire space of this layer, empty cardboard or\nplastic boxes are used to fill that space to ensure the batteries are securely cushioned and\npacked to prevent shifting. (See enclosed diagram.) The empty boxes could include inert\npacking material. On top of the shrink-wrapped battery layer or layers may be a shrink-\nwrapped layer of other items, hazmat and non-hazmat, with all hazmat items properly\npackaged according to the appropriate HMR packaging provision. All layers are shrink-\nwrapped together to ensure the entire load is secure. Each layer is capable of supporting\nthe weight of the layer or layers on top.\nWashing to ll4l!3~-104S-2tt®fth ern Virginia 1 New Jersey 1 New York 1 0 a II as 1 0 en v e r 1 Anchorage 1 0 o h a 1 Abu 0 h a b i\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nPATTON BOGGS~\nLetter toT. Glenn Foster\nFebruary 12,2014\nPage2\nScenario #2\nThis scenario includes two pallets. Batteries are placed on a pallet and shrink-wrapped to\nthe pallet to secure the batteries from movement. Battery terminals are protected with\nnon-conductive caps or tape in compliance with HMR 173.159. No materials other than\nthe batteries are placed on the pallet, whether or not the batteries fill up the pallet area.\nThe batteries are not in a box or a slip cover. This pallet of batteries is placed on top of\nanother pallet, which may hold one or more layers of non-battery items, hazmat and non-\nhazmat, with all hazmat items properly packaged according to the appropriate HMR\npackaging provisions. The two pallets are shrink-wrapped together to ensure the entire\nload is secure.\nThank you for your consideration.\nSincerely,\n~\nCarolina~s\nry . Walden\nEnclosure\n4831-1045-2760.1.\n\n<<<PAGE 5>>>\n\n1E\nBATTERY\nBATTERY\nTOTE","truncated":false,"body_characters":7323}