{"operation":"document","citation":"20-0084","title":"LANXESS Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2021-05-06","effective_on":null,"summary":"20-0084 response to LANXESS Corporation concerning 173.124, 173.125.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-20-0084.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-20-0084.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-20-0084","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/75021/200084.pdf","body":"<<>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590\nMay 6, 2021\nCyndi Fink\nDistribution Safety Manager\nLANXESS Corporation\n111 RIDC Park West Drive\nPittsburgh, PA 15275\nReference No. 20-0084\nDear Ms. Fink:\nThis letter is in response to your October 29, 2020, letter requesting clarification of the\nHazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to classifying\norganic acid chlorides. Specifically, you seek clarification of the classification criteria for\ndangerous when wet (Division 4.3) materials as specified in §§ 173.124(c) and 173.125(d) of the\nHMR.\nIn your letter, you state that your company contracted with a laboratory to conduct testing in\naccordance with the United Nations (UN) Test N.5 of the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria and\n§ 173.124(c) of the HMR to determine whether some organic acid chlorides should be classed as\na Division 4.3 material. You state that while the UN Test for Division 4.3 materials requires\ntesting for the emission of flammable gases, § 173.124(c) of the HMR indicates that both\nflammable or toxic gases must be considered for classifying a substance as a Division 4.3\nmaterial. Additionally, in your letter you state that samples of your material did not emit any\nflammable gases during testing; however, they did emit hydrogen chloride, a toxic gas. You ask\nfor PHMSA to clarify its position for requiring a material to be classed as a Division 4.3 if it\nemits a toxic gas during testing, or if this requirement should be harmonized with international\ntest methods and only be considered a Division 4.3 material if flammable gasses are emitted\nduring testing.\nPHMSA acknowledges that there is a difference between the international regulations and the\nHMR pertaining to the criteria for the classification of a Division 4.3 material. The international\nregulations do not mention the emission of toxic gases as criteria in assigning a material to\nDivision 4.3, while the emission of toxic or flammable gas would be the criteria to assign a\nmaterial to Division 4.3 in accordance with the HMR. It is the opinion of this Office that water-\nreactive materials that produce toxic gases still present a hazard that should be addressed in the\n\n<<>>\n\nHMR, and that until this issue is addressed, you may use the same criteria for Packing Group\n(PG) assignment currently specified in § 173.125(d) for measuring the emission of flammable\ngasses as for measuring the emission of toxic gasses.\nI hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.\nSincerely,\nT. Glenn Foster\nChief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<>>\n\nLarson\nFrom:\n20-0084\nSubject:\nTo:\nINFOCNTR (PHMSA)\nDodd, Alice (PHMSA); Hazmat Interps\nDate:\nFW: Request for letter of interpretation\nAttachments:\n2020-10-27 Class 4.3 Toxic Gas LOI request.pdf\nFriday, October 30, 2020 12:49:52 PM\nHi Alice,\nPlease see attached for a letter of interpretation request.\nPlease contact our office with any questions.\nThank you,\nSarah (HMIC)\nFrom: cyndi.fink@lanxess.com [mailto:cyndi.fink@lanxess.com]\nSent: Thursday, October 29, 2020 12:10 PM\nTo: INFOCNTR (PHMSA) < INFOCNTR.INFOCNTR@dot.gov>\nCc: Ernest Marcel ; sebastian.buchner@lanxess.com\nSubject: Request for letter of interpretation\nCAUTION: This email originated from outside of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Do not click on links or\nopen attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.\nPlease see attached request for a letter of interpretation regarding 49CFR173.124(c).\nThank you.\n*uit4+t444++444++44444444++4+4444444+4444444444444444444444.4kk\nCyndi Fink, CDGP, DGSA\nDistribution Safety Manager\nProduct Safety & Regulatory Affairs\nLANXESS Corporation\n111 RIDC Park West Drive | Pittsburgh, PA 15275-1112\nCell: 412-337-2350 | Office: 412-809-4774 | cyndi.fink@lanxess.com","truncated":false,"body_characters":3996}