# Zee Company — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 19-0020
- **title:** Zee Company — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2019-05-30
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 19-0020 response to Zee Company concerning 172.504, 172.505, 173.29.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-19-0020.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-19-0020.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-19-0020
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/71521/190020.pdf
**body:**

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0
U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
MAY 3 0 2019
Mr. Ricky Pruitt
Distribution Manager
Zee Company
307 Garrison Drive
Cleveland, GA 30528
Reference No. 19-0020
Dear Mr. Pruitt
This letter is in response to your February 18, 2019, letter and subsequent phone conversation
requesting clarification of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180)
applicable to empty packagings. Specifically, you state that your company is hauling truckloads
of 55 gallon drums and intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) containing the residue of "UN 1760,
Corrosive liquids, n.o.s., Class 8, PGIII." You state these packagings are being transported in
your company's enclosed van trailers from one company location to another, where they would
be reconditioned for future use.
We have paraphrased and answered your questions as follows:
Q 1. You ask whether a shipping paper is required to transport 55 gallon drums containing
only the residue of this material.
Al. The answer is no. Section 173.29(c)(2) states that a non-bulk packaging containing only
the residue (see definition of residue in § 171.8) of a hazardous material covered by Table
2 of§ 172.504 that is not a material poisonous-by-inhalation or its residue shipped under
subsidiary placarding provisions in § 172.505 is not subject to the shipping paper
requirements when collected and transported by a contract or private carrier for
reconditioning, remanufacture, or reuse. If your company uses its own vehicles, you are
considered a private carrier and shipping papers are not required.
Q2. You ask whether a shipping paper is required to transport 275 and 330 gallon IBCs
containing the same residue. In addition, you ask whether the vehicles transporting these
IBCs would require placards.
A2. The answer to both questions is yes. Section 173.29(a) states that in general, an empty
packaging containing only the residue of a hazardous material shall be offered for
transportation and transported in the same manner as when it previously contained a
greater quantity of that hazardous material. There is an exception to placarding

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requirements in§ 173.29(c)(l) which states that non-bulk packagings that contain only
the residue of a Table 2 material from § 172.504 that is also not a material poisonous-by-
inhalation or its residue shipped under the subsidiary placarding provisions of§ 172.505
do not have to be included in determining the placarding requirements of Subpart F of
Part 172. Because 275 and 330 gallon IBCs are bulk packagings, they are not excepted
from placarding under§ 173.29. Further, the shipping paper exception provided for in
answer Al applies to non-bulk packagings and not bulk packagings.
I hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
,,--;Yr#~~
T. Glenn Foster
Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division

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The .... . ...................
VINCIT
GROUP'
Mr. Edward Mazzullo, Director
Office Of Hazardous Materials Standards
U.S. Department Of Transportation
400 Seventh Street SW
Washington DC 20590-001
February 18 2019
RE: 173.29
Dear Mr. Mazzullo:
I Would Like To Get Clarification On The Standards Of 173.29 . If Hauling
Empty Poly 55 Gallon Drums Containing Only The Residue Of Hazardous Materials
And Non-Hazardous Materials On Our Company Truck From One Company Location
To The Other In An Enclosed Van Trailer Will We Be Required To Create Bill Of
Ladings Or Not? And If We Haul IBC Container Of Size 275 Gallons And 330
Gallons In The Same Form Wil We Be Required To Placard And Create Bill Of
Ladings?
Sincerely p~oJ~
Ricky Pruitt
Distribution Manager
ZEE COMPANY 307 GARRISON DRIVE CLEVELAND GA 30528 423-504-1946
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