# Wacker Chemical Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 15-0217
- **title:** Wacker Chemical Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2016-03-29
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 15-0217 response to Wacker Chemical Corporation concerning 171.22.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-15-0217.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-15-0217.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-15-0217
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2016/150217.pdf
**body:**

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of Transportation
U.S. Department
Washington, D.C. 20590
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
MAR 2 9 2016
Michael Strong
Senior Regulatory Affairs Specialist
Wacker Chemical Corporation
3301 Sutton Road
Adrian, MI 49221
Ref. No.: 15-0217
Dear Mr. Strong:
This is a response to your October 30, 2015 letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to the authorization and
conditions for the use of international standards and regulations. In your letter, you state that
your colleagues in Germany have asked you to request clarification from the Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) regarding the legal definition of the
entity considered to be "the person importing" when products are shipped to the U.S. from
Germany. Your questions are paraphrased and answered as follows:
Q1. What does "each person importing" mean in accordance with § 171.22(f)(1)?
Al. In the context of § 171.22(Đ)(1), each person importing means an individual,
corporation, company, association, firm, partnership, society, or joint stock company
that imports a hazardous material into the United States. In accordance with
§ 171.22(f(1), except for shipments into the United States from Canada conforming to
§ 171.12, each person importing a hazardous material into the United States must
provide the forwarding agent at the place of entry into the United States timely and
complete written information as to the requirements of this subchapter applicable to
the particular shipment.
Q2.
Which methods of providing the written information that is required by § 171.22(f)(1)
are allowable - e.g. whether a Safety Data Sheet would be sufficient with data about
Reportable Quantity and corresponding limits or inhalation hazard zone?
A2.
The HMR does not require specific wording or methods to be used to meet the
requirement in § 171.22(f)(1); only that each person importing a hazardous material
into the United States must provide the forwarding agent at the place of entry into the
United States timely and complete written information as to the requirements of this
subchapter applicable to the particular shipment. The format chosen to
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accomplish this must include the applicable additional conditions or requirements
imposed.
Q3.
Are there other special requirements for which additional data are necessary - e.g.
special permits for certain containers?
A3.
The complete written information should include all information necessary to
an indication of any applicable special permits.
ensure compliance with the requirements of the HMR including, where appropriate,
I hope this information is helpful. If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to
contact this office.
Sincerely,
tense ostr
T. Glenn Foster
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division
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Mickels
171:22
Goodall, Shante CTR (PHMSA)
Cutbasization shermanent
From:
Geller, Shelby CTR (PHMSA)
15-0217
Sent:
To:
Monday, November 02, 2015 2:54 PM
Subject:
Hazmat Interps
FW: Request for Interpretation -- from Wacker Chemie AG (Our Parent Company) FW:
We need legal certainty regarding who is considered the person importing
Importance:
High
Sensitivity:
Confidential
Dear Shante and Alice,
Forwarded is a request for a formal letter of interpretation.
Thanks,
Shelby
From: Strong, Mike [mailto:Mike.Strong@wacker.com]
Sent: Friday, October 30, 2015 5:12 PM
To: PHMSA HM InfoCenter
regarding who is considered the person importing
Subject: Request for Interpretation -- from Wacker Chemie AG (Our Parent Company) FW: We need legal certainty
Importance: High
Sensitivity: Confidential
Dear PHMSA,
considered to be the "person importing", when products are shipped to the US from Germany.
Our colleagues in Germany have asked us to request some clarification regarding the legal definition of the entity
Please request an agency interpretation from US-DOT PHMSA clarifying
> the "each person importing" acc. §171.22 (f) (1)
• which methods of providing the written information are allowable - e.g. whether a SDS would be sufficient
with data about RQ and corresponding limit or inhalation hazard zone
• whether there are other special requirements for which additional data are necessary - e.g. special permits
for certain containers
Mike Strong
Thanks & Best regards,
WACKER CHEMICAL CORPORATION PROPRIETARY INFORMATION
Sinor Regulatory Atas SpecEPS, CSHM
Wacker Chemical Corporation
3301 Sutton Road
Regulatory Affairs and Product Safety Department
Adrian, Michigan 49221-9397
4222
FAX 817) 2841916
smailto:mike.strong@wacker.com>
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