{"operation":"document","citation":"20-0095","title":"Council on the Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2020-12-22","effective_on":null,"summary":"20-0095 response to Council on the Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles concerning 172.600, 172.602, 172.604, 172.606.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-20-0095.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-20-0095.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-20-0095","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/74606/200095.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590\nDecember 22, 2020\nTom Ferguson\nSenior Technical Consultant\nCouncil on the Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles\n10 Hunter Brook Lane\nQueensbury, NY 12804\nReference No. 20-0095\nDear Mr. Ferguson:\nThis letter is in response to your October 2, 2020, email requesting clarification of the Hazardous\nMaterials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to emergency response\ninformation. Specifically, you discuss usage of the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG)\nmobile app by drivers of motor vehicles. We have paraphrased and answered your questions as\nfollows:\nQ1. You ask whether display of emergency response information through the ERG mobile\napp on an electronic device (e.g., smartphone or tablet) meets the requirements of the\nHMR.\nA1. The answer is no. The information used to meet the requirements of Part 172, Subpart G\n(§§ 172.600-172.606) must be in the form of a physical document printed legibly in\nEnglish (see § 172.602(b)). Electronic display of emergency response information,\nwhether through the ERG app or other means, does not meet the HMR’s requirements.\nQ2. You ask whether PHMSA would consider revising the HMR to authorize electronic\ndisplay of emergency response information as a way to meet emergency response\nrequirements.\nA2. The answer is yes. PHMSA continually revises the HMR to address developments in\ntechnology and transport methods that provide for an appropriate level of safety for the\ntransportation of hazardous materials. You may ask PHMSA to add, amend, or delete a\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nregulation by filing a petition for rulemaking in accordance with rulemaking procedures\nin §§ 106.95-106.105.\nI hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.\nSincerely,\nDirk Der Kinderen\nChief, Standards Development Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nPatrick\n20-0095\nFrom: Foster, Glenn (PHMSA)\nTo: Dodd, Alice (PHMSA)\nSubject: Use of Electronic ERG\nDate: Tuesday, December 8, 2020 3:44:59 PM\nFrom: Tom Ferguson <Tom@costha.com>\nSent: Friday, October 2, 2020 4:55 PM\nTo: Kelley, Shane (PHMSA) <shane.kelley@dot.gov>\nCc: Foster, Glenn (PHMSA) <Glenn.Foster@dot.gov>; Chris Yakush <Chris@costha.com>\nSubject: Use of Electronic ERG\nShane,\nI would like to get an interpretation from PHMSA on the official use of the Emergency Response\nGuidebook by drivers of road vehicles, and whether the document is required to be in paper form or\nwhether electronic access through the ERG app is acceptable. If the paper form is mandatory, would\nPHMSA consider permitting electronic usage in a future rulemaking?\nIf you need additional clarification on the request, I am happy to discuss.\nThanks!\nTom Ferguson, PG, CHMM, DGSA\nSenior Technical Consultant\nCouncil On Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles (COSTHA)\n10 Hunter Brook Lane\nQueensbury, NY 12804\nO: 518-761-0389\nF: 518-792-7781\nNEW! Follow us on LinkedIn\nWe are designated as an essential business and we are well equipped with\nnecessary resources to follow CDC guidelines of social distancing, respond to daily\nchanges, and continue to operate our business to support your needs without\ninterruption.\nStay up-to-date on COVID messages from COSTHA\nWe greatly appreciate you and will continue to navigate these trying times together!\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nThis information is intended to provide interpretative and authoritative information in regard\nto the subject matter covered as a service to our clients and has been answered to the best\nof our ability based on the information provided to us. We do not guarantee the accuracy or\ncompleteness of any such interpretation or information, however, nor do we warrant that\ncompliance with any advice we provide will guarantee compliance with any legal or\nregulatory requirements. Our statements or opinions do not convey legal interpretation and\ngovernment authorities or legal counsel should be contacted for such a response.","truncated":false,"body_characters":4058}