# Elizabeth M. Richardson — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 23-0069
- **title:** Elizabeth M. Richardson — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2023-11-06
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 23-0069 concerning 173.225.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-23-0069.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-23-0069.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-23-0069
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/docs/standards-rulemaking/hazmat/interpretations/78031/230069.pdf
**body:**

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U.S. Department
of Transportation
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety
Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
November 6, 2023
Elizabeth M. Richardson
1900 N Street NW
Suite 100
Washington, DC 20036
Reference No. 23-0069
Dear Ms. Richardson:
This letter is in response to your July 24, 2023, email requesting clarification of the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to organic peroxides.
Specifically, you ask for clarification on the bulk packaging requirements for “UN3109, Organic
peroxide, type F, liquid, 5.2, 8, (Peracetic acid ≤ 23% hydrogen peroxide).” Although this
hazardous material is not listed in the § 173.225(g) Organic Peroxide Portable Tank Table, you
seek confirmation of your understanding that it may be transported in cargo tank motor vehicles
because the § 173.225(h)(2) provisions do not specify any particular organic peroxide authorized
for transport.
Your understanding is not correct. Section 173.225(h) states that “bulk packagings are
authorized—subject to the conditions and limitations of this section—if the organic peroxide is
listed in the Organic Peroxide Portable Tank Table and bulk packagings are authorized, or if the
organic peroxide is specifically authorized for transport in a bulk packaging by this
paragraph (h).” UN3109, Peracetic acid ≤ 23% hydrogen peroxide is neither listed in the Organic
Peroxides Portable Tank Table nor is it specifically authorized in bulk packages by § 173.225(h);
therefore, it may not be transported in cargo tank motor vehicles without prior approval by the
Associate Administrator.
I hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
Dirk Der Kinderen
Chief, Standards Development Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division

<<<PAGE 2>>>

Eugenio Cardez
23-0069
Jones, Jessie Jane CTR (PHMSA)
From: Dodd, Alice (PHMSA)
Sent: To: Subject: Attachments: Thursday, July 27, 2023 1:41 PM
Jones, Jessie Jane CTR (PHMSA)
FW: Request for PHMSA Interpretation of 49 CFR 173.225(h)
2023-07-24 Letter to PHMSA re Interpretation of 173.225(h).pdf
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
From: INFOCNTR (PHMSA) <INFOCNTR.INFOCNTR@dot.gov>
Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2023 12:56 PM
To: Dodd, Alice (PHMSA) <Alice.Dodd@dot.gov>
Cc: Hazmat Interps <hazmatinterps@dot.gov>
Subject: FW: Request for PHMSA Interpretation of 49 CFR 173.225(h)
Hello Alice,
Please see the a ached interpreta on request.
Let us know if you need anything else.
Regards,
‐Breanna
From: Elizabeth M. Richardson <ERichardson@bdlaw.com>
Sent: Monday, July 24, 2023 5:25 PM
To: PHMSA HM InfoCenter <PHMSAHMInfoCenter@dot.gov>
Subject: Request for PHMSA Interpretation of 49 CFR 173.225(h)
CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Do not click on links
or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.
To whom it may concern:
Please see a ached le er reques ng an interpreta on of 49 CFR § 173.225(h). Please let me know if you need anything
else to process this request.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth M. Richardson
Principal
1

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1900 N Street, NW, Suite 100 ~ Washington, DC 20036 ~ bdlaw.com
O +1.202.789.6066 ~ M +1.202.669.6039 ~ ERichardson@bdlaw.com
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2

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July 24, 2023
SUBMITTED VIA EMAIL
Mr. Shane Kelley
Director, Standards and Rulemaking Division
U.S. DOT/PHMSA (PHH-10)
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE East Building, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC 20590
infocntr@dot.gov
Re: Request for Interpretation on Shipping Peracetic Acid
Dear Mr. Kelley:
I am writing to request confirmation that certain cargo tank motor vehicles may be used to
transport UN 3109, Organic peroxide, type F, liquid (Peracetic Acid ≤ 23% hydrogen peroxide),
5.2, 8. This material has been approved as a type of organic peroxide, and it is specifically listed
in the Organic Peroxide Table in 49 C.F.R. § 173.225(c) as “Peroxyacetic acid or peracetic acid
[with not more than 26% hydrogen peroxide], UN 3109” with a Class 8 subsidiary hazard.
49 C.F.R. §173.225(h) provides that certain bulk packagings may be used to transport organic
peroxides “if the organic peroxide is listed in the Organic Peroxide Portable Tank Table and bulk
packagings are authorized, or if the organic peroxide is specifically authorized for transport in a
bulk packaging by this paragraph (h), and the bulk packaging conforms to the requirements of
this subchapter.” 49 C.F.R. §173.225(h) (emphasis added). Peracetic acid (UN 3109) is not among
the Type F organic peroxides that are listed in the Portable Tank Table in 49 C.F.R. § 273.225(g).
Even though peracetic acid is not listed in the Portable Tank Table, can you please confirm that
peracetic acid may be transported in the cargo tank motor vehicles MC 307, MC 310, MC 311, MC
312, DOT 407, and DOT 412 with a tank design pressure of at least 172 kPa (25 psig) as listed in
49 C.F.R. § 173.225(h)(2)? This Section does not specifically mention any particular types of
organic peroxides, and we believe this means that peracetic acid with no more than 26%
hydrogen peroxide can be transported in these cargo tanks because it is “authorized for transport
in a bulk packaging by this paragraph (h)” as long as “the bulk packaging conforms to the
requirements of this subchapter.” See 49 C.F.R. §173.225(h).
In contrast, Section 173.225(h)(3) provides that certain portable tanks may be used, except that
the Associate Administrator must approve portable tanks for Type F organic peroxides that are
not listed in the Portable Tank Table. We interpret this to mean that portable tanks would not be
authorized for transporting peracetic acid with no more than 26% hydrogen peroxide without an
approval from the Associate Administrator. Because no such limitation is placed on cargo tank
motor vehicles in Section 173.225(h)(2), we believe cargo tank motor vehicles are authorized by
this section.

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Therefore, we request confirmation that UN 3109, Organic peroxide type F, liquid (Peracetic
Acid ≤ 23% hydrogen peroxide), 5.2, 8 may be transported in the cargo tank motor vehicles
listed in 49 C.F.R. §173.22(h)(2).
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth M. Richardson
Principal
Beveridge & Diamond, PC
16570332v1 BDFIRM 021354
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