{"operation":"document","citation":"14-0089","title":"URS Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2014-11-13","effective_on":null,"summary":"14-0089 response to URS Corporation concerning 171.24, 172.102, 173.185.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-14-0089.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-14-0089.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-14-0089","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2014/140089.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nof Transportation\nU.S. Department\nWashington, D.C. 20590\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nPipeline and Hazardous\nAdministration\nMaterials Safety\nNOV 1 3 2014\nMr. Andrew N. Romach\nRegulatory Compliance Manager\n1600 Perimeter Park Drive\nURS Corporation\nMorrisville, NC 27560\nReference No. 14-0089\nDear Mr. Romach:\nThis is in response to your letter requesting clarification on how to transport \"UN 2990, Life-\nsaving appliances, self-inflating, 9\" and \"UN 3072, Life-saving appliances, not self-inflating,\n9\" that each contain a lithium battery, internationally by aircraft, under the Hazardous\nMaterials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180). Specifically, you ask if life-saving\nappliances that contain a lithium battery are excepted from complying with Special Provisions\n188, 189, A101, A103, and A104 prescribed in 49 CFR 172.102, and § 173.185 when\nprepared for transportation in conformance with International Civil Aviation Organization\nTechnical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (ICAO Technical\nInstructions).\nOn August 6, 2014, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)\nissued a final rule, in consultation with the Federal Aviation Administration, under Docket\nNo. PHMSA-2009-0095 (HM-224F; 79 FR 46012, 8/6/14), that modified the HMR for\nlithium batteries and cells. Under this final rule, § 172.102 Special Provisions 188 and 189\nwere revised and moved to § 173.185(c). Special Provision A101 was revised to make it\nconsistent with comparable requirements for lithium metal batteries packed with or contained\nin equipment that are prescribed in the ICAO Technical Instructions. The final rule also\nadopted separate Hazardous Materials Table (HMT; § 172.101) entries for lithium metal\nbatteries and lithium ion batteries, making Special Provisions A103 and A104 no longer\nnecessary; they were removed. In addition, the final rule consolidated the United Nations\n(UN) design testing, packaging, and other transport condition requirements for lithium\nbatteries into § 173.185 and reorganized that section.\nIf the life-saving appliances you described comply with the size, packaging, hazard\ncommunication, air transportation, and marking exceptions prescribed for smaller lithium\ncells and batteries in § 173.185(c), they are excepted from the requirements in 49 CFR Part\n172, Subparts C (Shipping Papers), D (Marking), E (Labeling), F (Placarding), G (Emergency\nResponse Information), and H (Training), and the UN performance packaging requirements\nprescribed in § 173.185(b)(3)(ii) and (b)(4). Please note that you may also ship them in\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nconformance with the requirements prescribed in § 173.185 for \"UN 3481, Lithium ion\nbatteries contained in equipment including lithium polymer batteries, 9, II\" or \"UN 3091,\nLithium batteries contained in equipment including lithium alloy batteries, 9, PG II,\" if\napplicable.\nAlso, please note that the HMR require that packages of hazardous materials prepared for\ntransportation in conformance with international requirements, such as the ICAO Technical\nInstructions, must comply with 49 CFR Part 171, Subpart C. This subpart further requires\nthat any hazardous materials packages offered or intended for transportation by aircraft in\nconformance with the ICAO Technical Instructions must also comply with 49 CFR Part 175\n(Carriage by Aircraft; see § 171.24(b)(1)); however, the HMR do not require packages\nprepared in this manner to comply with § 173.185.\nI hope this satisfies your request.\nSincerely,\ntennister\nT. Glenn Foster\nChief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n2\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nEdmonson\nURS\n$173.219\n8172.102\nApril 28, 2014\n§173.185.\nApplicability\nMr. Charles Betts, Division Director\nStandards and Rulemaking (PHH-10)\nU.S. Department of Transportation\n14-0089\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\nEast Building, 2nd Floor\n1200 New Jersey Ave., SE\nWashington, DC 20590\nDear Mr. Betts:\nI am writing to you to request a Department of Transportation (DOT) interpretation concerning\nthe applicability of 49 CFR 173.219 to the international air shipment of a life-saving appliance\ncontaining a lithium battery prepared under International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)\nrequirements (Packing Instruction 955), as authorized under 49 CFR 171.22.\nThis question concerns the two below-listed DOT basic descriptions:\n• UN3072, Life-saving appliances, not self-inflating, 9\n• UN2990, Life-saving appliances, self-inflating, 9\n49 CFR 173.219(b)(3) requires that:\n'\"Life saving appliances containing lithium batteries must be transported in\naccordance with 173.185, and Special Provisions 188, 189, A101, A103 and A104 as\napplicable.\"\n49 CFR 171.22(b) requires:\n(b) Limitations on the use of international standards and regulations. A hazardous\nmaterial that is offered for transportation or is transported in accordance with the\ninternational standards and regulations authorized in paragraph (a) of this section-\n(1) Is subject to the requirements of the applicable international standard or regulation\nand must be offered for transportation or transported in conformance with the applicable\nstandard or regulation; and\n(2) Must conform to all applicable requirements of this subpart.\nURS Corporation\nTel: 919.461.1220\n1600 Perimeter Park Drive Morrisville, NC 27560\nFax: 919.461.1371\nandy.romach@urs.com\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nURS\nDOT interpretation letter request\nApril 28, 2014\nPage 2 of 2\nICAO Packing Instruction 955 requires:\nLife-saving appliances, such as life-rafts, life-vests, aircraft survival kits or aircraft evacuation\nslides, may only contain the dangerous goods listed below:\n***\n(d) electric storage batteries (Class 8) and lithium batteries (Class 9); and\n***\nQuestion: As the requirement to meet 49 CFR 173.219(b)(3) is not listed in 49 CFR 171\nSubpart C, would the air shipment of a life-saving appliance containing a lithium battery\nprepared under ICAO be subject to the applicable provisions of 49 CFR 173.185, and Special\nProvisions 188, 189, A101, A103 and A104? Or, would following the requirements set out in\nICAO Packing Instruction 955 (where no additional more restrictive requirements concerning the\nlithium battery are listed) be sufficient to comply with the Hazardous Material Regulations\n(HMR)?\nI would appreciate your assistance with this question.\nSincerely,\nAlize\nAndrew N. Romach\nRegulatory Compliance Manager\nURS Corporation\n1600 Perimeter Park Drive Morrisville, NC 27560\nURS Corporation\nTel: 919.461.1220\nFax: 919.461.1371\nandy.romach@urs.com\n\n<<<PAGE 5>>>\n\nDrakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA)\nSent:\nFrom:\nJarman, Erin <erin.jarman@urs.com>\nCc:\nTo:\nMonday, April 28, 2014 2:47 PM\nPHMSA HM InfoCenter\nAttachments:\nSubject:\nSubmission of Interpretation Letter\nDrakeford, Carolyn (PHMSA); Norris, Carolyn; Romach, Andy\nrequest for DOT reg interpr li batt life saving 04282014. pdf\nDear Info Center,\nAttached is a request for formal interpretation related to life saving devices. If you need additional information, please\nfeel free to contact me via e-mail or at the telephone number below. Have a great day!\nErin N. Jarman\nEnvironmental Scientist\nURS Corporation\n1600 Perimeter Park Dr.\nSuite 400\nMorrisville, NC 27560\n919-461-1478 (office phone)\nproprietary or privileged. If you receive this message in error or are not the intended recipient, you\nThis e-mail and any attachments contain URS Corporation confidential information that may be\nshould not retain, distribute, disclose or use any of this information and you should destroy the e-mail\nand any attachments or copies.","truncated":false,"body_characters":7590}