# Avalon Battery Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 17-0032
- **title:** Avalon Battery Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2017-07-18
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 17-0032 response to Avalon Battery Corporation concerning 173.159.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-17-0032.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-17-0032.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-17-0032
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2017/170032.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

Brian Adams
Avalon Battery Corporation
1226 Frances Street
Vancouver, BC V6A 1Z5
Canada
Reference No. 17-0032
• Dear Mr. Adams:
This letter is in response to your March 29, 2017, letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to wet batteries. In your letter,
you note that you have classified your product as "UN2794, Batteries, wet, filled with acid."
You also confirm that the transportation of this material meets all of the conditions in
§ 173.159(e). You ask whether the product requires additional packaging to comply with the
HMR.
The answer is no. If the shipment of a wet battery meets all of the conditions in § 173.159(e), it
is not subject to any other HMR requirements. Additional packaging is not required beyond the
method you use to meet the conditions.
I hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely
Chief, Standards Development Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division

<<<PAGE 2>>>

hi Shantel Alice,
Please submit this as a letter of interpretation. Ms. Moritz is requesting a written response.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Jordan
From: Anna Moritz [mailto:amoritz@avalonbattery.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2017 3:11 PM
To: PHMSA HM InfoCenter <PHMSAHMInfoCenter@dot.gov>
Subject: Request for Written Clarification
Dear Sir or Madam,
herewith we would like to request clarification regarding the Hazardous Materials Regulations HMR; 49 CFR
173.159.
Please see the attached letter.
We appreciate your time in reviewing this request.
Best regards,
Anna Moritz
E-mail: amoritz@avalonbattery.com
Anna Moritz
U: www.avalonbattery.com
Supply Chain Specialist
T: 604.563.2144
4
AVALON
1

<<<PAGE 3>>>



<<<PAGE 4>>>

We have determined our battery to fall under UN 2794 Batteries, wet, filled with acid. In review of the
application sections of the HMR, 49 CFR 173.159 we have confirmed that we meet all conditions under
173.159(e). The interpretation we seek confirmation upon is whether or not our battery requires
additional packaging per the HMR. We request this confirmation because we have specifically designed
our battery with the intent to transport it without the need of additional packaging. This is due to the
fact that our battery includes an integrated steel enclosure that encompasses all internal components of
the battery.
The enclosure, which encompasses packaging, consists of the following:
1) Steel skid / pallet (6 mm steel wall thickness, continuously welded)
2)
Steel enclosure (3 mm wall thickness, welded to steel skid
3)
Battery electrolyte resistance spray coated lining inside steel enclosure
4)
Lifting features rated for full load overhead lift
5)
Tie down points for securing battery to transport vehicle
Your confirmation and comments on our interpretation is greatly appreciated.
If you have questions, don't hesitate to contact us at 604-563-2144.
Sincerely,
Brian Adams
Product Development Manager
Avalon Battery Corporation
1226 Frances Street
Vancouver, BC V6A 1Z5
Enclosure (1)

<<<PAGE 5>>>

Thick Steel with
Walls 3 mm
Reinforcement
Horizontal
Band Structure
(2X)
Base Skid 6 mm
Thick Steel
Two tanks insert

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