{"operation":"document","citation":"16-0141","title":"AREVA, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2017-03-03","effective_on":null,"summary":"16-0141 response to AREVA, Inc. concerning 171.23, 173.453.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-16-0141.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-16-0141.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-16-0141","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2017/160141.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nLicensing Engineer for Transportation\nAREVA Inc.\n7135 Minstrel Way, Suite 300\nColumbia, MD 21045\nRef. No.: 16-0141\nDear Mr. Mathues:\nThis responds to your August 25, 2016 request for clarification of the Hazardous Materials\nRegulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) as they apply to fissile material prepared for\ntransport in accordance with the IAEA's Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive\nMaterial, SSR-6, 2012 Edition. You note that in a final rule published January 8, 2015 [(HM-\n215M); 80 FR 1075], PHMSA incorporated by reference the 2012 Edition of SSR-6 with an\nadditional requirement added in § 171.23(b)(11) that fissile material conform to the requirements\nof § 173.453. Specifically, you ask if packages containing fissile material prepared in\naccordance with paragraph 674 of SSR-6, but not meeting any of the fissile material exception\nconditions in § 173.453, may be offered for shipment to or from the U.S. without a competent\nauthority approval.\nThe answer to this question is no. As stated in the HM-215M preamble [80 FR 1081], SSR-6\nincluded \"several changes to the definition of excepted fissile materials and the requirements for\nits transport...Under their respective statutory authorities, DOT and the Nuclear Regulatory\nCommission (NRC) jointly regulate the transportation of radioactive materials to, from, and\nwithin the United States. The NRC has not initiated any rulemaking activities to address changes\nmade by the IAEA regarding the transportation of excepted fissile materials. In order to maintain\nuniform treatment for shippers of excepted fissile materials, PHMSA is amending § 171.23 to\nrequire that shipments of excepted fissile materials offered in accordance with the IAEA SSR-6\nregulations must also conform to the requirements of § 173.453.\"\nI hope this answers your inquiry. If you need additional assistance, please contact the Standards\nand Rulemaking Division at (202) 366-8553.\nSincerely,\nDuane A. Pfund\nInternational Standards Coordinator\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Safety\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.\nEast Building, PHH-10\nWashington, DC 20590\nSubject:\nRequest for Interpretation Regarding 49 CFR 171.23(b)(11)\nReferences:\n[1] Federal Register Notice for January 8, 2015, Docket Number PHMSA-\n2013-0260 (HM-215M), Department of Transportation, Pipeline and\nHazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Hazardous\nMaterials: Harmonization with International Standards, Final Rule.\n12]\nInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Regulations for the Safe\nTransport of Radioactive Material, Specific Safety Requirements\nNumber SSR-6, 2012 Edition.\n[3]\nInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Regulations for the Safe\nTransport of Radioactive Material, Requirements Number TS-R-1 (ST-1,\nRevised), 1996 Edition.\n[4] U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials\nSafety Administration, Subchapter C, Hazardous Material Regulations,\n49 CFR Parts 171 through 180, Revised October 1, 2015.\nDear Professional:\nIn rulemaking HM-215M, (Reference 1), the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\n(PHMSA) incorporated, by reference, the 2012 IAEA SSR-6 regulations (Reference 2) to replace the\nTS-R-1 (ST-1, Revised) 1996 Edition (Reference 3) to allow shipments to be offered for\ntransportation or transported under the most recent IAEA regulations. The PHMSA added additional\nrequirements to §171.23 to ensure domestic concerns were addressed. Paragraph (b)(11) of\n§171.23, (Reference 4) prescribes these additional requirements for shipments of radioactive\nmaterials made under authorized international standards or regulations. The PHMSA amended\n§171.23 to require that shipments of excepted fissile materials offered in accordance with the IAEA\nSSR-6 regulations also conform to the requirements of §173.453. However, the additional\nrequirements added to §171.23 do not explicitly address packages containing fissile material that are\nauthorized by the 2012 IAEA SSR-6 regulations prescribed in paragraph 674.\nAREVA TN\nAREVA Inc.\nTel.: (410) 910-6900 - Fax: (410) 910-6902\n7135 Minstrel Way - Suite 300 - Columbia, MD 21045 USA\nus.areva.com/AREVATN\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nBased on this review, my question is: Is a shipment of packages containing fissile material offered for\nshipment into or from the U.S. with contents as authorized by 2012 IAEA SSR-6 paragraph 674\nallowed by §171.23 (b)(11)?\nIf you have questions or require further information, please call me at 410-910-6538.\nSincerely,\nIle Antlue\nGlenn Mathues,\nLicensing Engineer for Transportation\nCC:\nMichael Conroy, U.S. Department of Transportation\nPeter Vescovi, AREVA TN\nAREVA TN\nAREVA Inc.\nTel.: (410) 910-6900 - Fax: (410) 910-6902\n7135 Minstrel Way - Suite 300 - Columbia, MD 21045 USA\nus.areva.com/AREVATN","truncated":false,"body_characters":4878}