{"operation":"document","citation":"22-0134","title":"SMBC Rail Services LLC — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2023-03-02","effective_on":null,"summary":"22-0134 response to SMBC Rail Services LLC concerning 180.509.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-22-0134.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-22-0134.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-22-0134","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/77426/220134.pdf","body":"<<>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\nMarch 2, 2023\nDan Welch\nVice President – Sourcing & Regulatory Compliance\nSMBC Rail Services LLC\n300 South Riverside Plaza\nSuite 1925\nChicago, IL 60606\nReference No. 22-0134\nDear Mr. Welch:\nThis letter is in response to your December 12, 2022, email requesting clarification of the\nHazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to tank car lining\nqualification. Specifically, you ask whether an owner of the internal coating or lining of a tank\ncar must receive approval from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Associate\nAdministrator for Railroad Safety in order to qualify tank car internal coatings or linings with an\ninterval of more than eight (8) years between qualification events.\nThe answer is yes. In accordance with § 180.509(i)(2), the owner of the tank car internal coating\nor lining must use its knowledge of the service life of each coating or lining and commodity\ncombination to establish an appropriate inspection interval for that coating or lining and\ncommodity combination. This interval may only exceed eight (8) years if the coating or lining\nowner can establish, document, and show that the service history or scientific analysis of the\ncoating or lining and commodity pairing supports a longer inspection interval. The authorization\nin § 180.509(i)(2) to exceed an 8-year qualification interval is an alternate inspection and test\nprocedure than what is specified by rule in § 180.509; therefore, subject to § 180.509(l) and\napproval by the Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, FRA.\nI hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.\nSincerely,\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590\nDirk Der Kinderen\nChief, Standards Development Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<>>\n\nPatrick\n22-0134\nFrom: Patrick, Eamonn (PHMSA)\nTo: Dodd, Alice (PHMSA)\nCc: DerKinderen, Dirk (PHMSA); Freeman, Cheryl (PHMSA); Majors, Leonard (PHMSA)\nSubject: FW: SMBC Rail Services Request for Interpretation\nDate: Monday, December 12, 2022 4:16:00 PM\nAttachments: image001.png\nSMBC Rail LOI Request 2022.pdf\nGood afternoon Alice,\nPlease assign the attached as a request for a Letter of Interpretation.\n-Eamonn\nFrom: Dan Welch \nSent: Monday, December 12, 2022 4:13 PM\nTo: INFOCNTR (PHMSA) \nCc: Keltz, Randy (FRA) ; Gildea, David (FRA) ; Strouse,\nLarry (FRA) ; Konrad, Adam (FRA) ; Fairbanks, Gary\n(FRA) ; King, Charles (FRA) ; Henriksen, Lucinda\n(FRA) ; Stewart, Roberta (FRA) ; Baxley,\nRichard (FRA) ; Maday, Mark (FRA) ; Alexy, Karl\n(FRA) ; Patrick, Eamonn (PHMSA) ; DerKinderen,\nDirk (PHMSA) ; Freeman, Cheryl (PHMSA) ;\nMajors, Leonard (PHMSA) ; Schoonover, William (PHMSA)\n; Larry Loman - AllTranstek LLC (loman@alltranstek.com)\n; Perry Fix ; Ashish Seth\n; Mike McCarthy \nSubject: SMBC Rail Services Request for Interpretation\nCAUTION: This email originated from outside of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Do\nnot click on links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content\nis safe.\nTo Whom It May Concern,\nPlease find attached SMBC Rail Services LLC’s request for interpretation on 49 CFR 180.509(i)(2).\nAs noted, please contact me if there are any questions or concerns.\nThank you,\nDan Welch\nVP, Sourcing and Regulatory Compliance\nPhone: 312-559-4804\nFax: 312-559-4829\nCell: 312-256-3434\n\n<<>>\n\nEmail: dan.welch@smbcrail.com\nwww.smbcrail.com\nThis message, including any attachments, may contain information that is privileged, confidential\nand/or protected by copyright, and is subject to the terms available at:\nhttps://www.smbcgroup.com/americas/disclaimers/emaildisclaimer.html/ If you are not the\nintended recipient, or have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and\ndelete this message. To unsubscribe from further email marketing communication's from SMBC Rail\nServices, please forward an email to the following address smbcunsubscribe@smbcgroup.com\n\n<<>>\n\nSMBC Rail Services, LLC\n300 South Riverside Plaza\nSuite 1925\nChicago, IL 60606\nTelephone (312) 559-4804\nFax (312) 559-4829\nE-mail dan.welch@smbcrail.com\nMonday, December 12, 2022\nTo:\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\nPipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration\nAttn: PHH–10, U.S. Department of Transportation, East Building\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE.\nWashington, DC 20590–0001\nRef: Request for Interpretation of 180.509(i)(2)\nTo Whom It May Concern,\nSMBC Rail Services LLC requests PHMSA confirmation of our interpretation that when an inspection\ninterval meets the requirements of 180.509(i)(2), it does not require specific application and approval\nas an alternative testing program under 180.509(l).\nSMBC recognizes that 49 CFR 180.509(i)(2) allows intervals in excess of 8 years when:\n“(This interval must not exceed eight (8) years, unless) the coating or lining owner can\nestablish, document, and show that the service history or scientific analysis of the coating or\nlining and commodity pairing supports a longer inspection interval. The owner must\nmaintain at its principal place of business a written procedure for collecting and\ndocumenting the performance of the coating or lining applied within the tank car for its\nservice life. The internal coating or lining owner must provide this documentation, including\ninspection and test, repair, removal, and application procedures, to the FRA or car owner\nupon request.”\nFRA personnel have told SMBC that they interpret Sub Part F to read that a coating/lining interval\ngreater than 8 years requires specific application and approval for an alternative testing program listed\nunder 180.509(l) regardless of an owner’s ability to meet the requirements of 180.509(i)(2), and that\nany cars marked with an interval more than 8 years without an approved alternative testing program\nper 180.509(l) are non-compliant.\n\n<<>>\n\nSMBC Rail Services Request for Interpretation\nDecember 12, 2022\nAs additional background:\n• An interval of more than eight years was proposed to Karl Alexy of the FRA in 2011 by\nSMBC Rail’s predecessor, American Railcar Leasing as meeting these requirements, and was\nagreed to in spite of the fact that 180.509(l) existed at that time. In his agreement, Mr. Alexy\ndid not require or direct our employees to request an alternate approval under 180.509(l).\n• 180.509(i)(2) was added in 2012 (when 180.509(l) was already in place) without any reference\nto requirements under180.509(l).\nShould you have any questions or concerns, please let us know.\nSincerely,\nDan Welch\nVice President – Sourcing & Regulatory Compliance\nSMBC Rail Services LLC\nPage 2 of 2","truncated":false,"body_characters":7226}