{"operation":"document","citation":"24-0034","title":"ProteQ — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2024-10-16","effective_on":null,"summary":"24-0034 response to ProteQ concerning 173.185, 173.22.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-24-0034.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-24-0034.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-24-0034","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2024-10/240034.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590\nOctober 16, 2024\nBen Smith\nSr. Multimodal DG Specialist\nProteQ\n2325 Dulles Corner Blvd, Ste 725\nHerndon, VA 20171\nReference No. 24-0034\nDear Mr. Smith:\nThis letter is in response to your May 17, 2024, email requesting clarification of the Hazardous\nMaterials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to lithium batteries, particularly\nthose shipped as damaged, defective, and recalled (DDR) cells or batteries as prescribed in\n§ 173.185(f). You ask whether lithium batteries treated as described in the scenario below would\nstill be considered DDR lithium batteries. Specifically, you describe a lithium battery that has\nbeen processed—prior to transportation—to no longer have the potential to:\n• Be electrically charged.\n• Hold any electrical charge or be capable of being charged.\n• Be electrically connected to equipment (e.g., electrical plugs have been destroyed).\n• Hold electrolyte, flammable, or explosive liquids, or gases.\n• Have the operational ability to provide power to equipment.\n• Present a dangerous evolution of heat, fire, or be short circuited.\nYou further add that the batteries have been tested in accordance with Resource Conservation\nand Recovery Act (RCRA) testing (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP), and\nignitability) with results showing no flash point below 140 degrees F, and no TCLP metals\ndetected.\nAs specified in § 173.22 of the HMR, it is the shipper’s responsibility to properly class and\ndescribe a hazardous material in accordance with Parts 172 and 173 of the HMR. This Office\ngenerally does not perform that function. However, it is the opinion of this Office that the lithium\nbatteries processed in the manner you describe would not be considered a battery nor a DDR\nbattery. A lithium battery or cell is not subject to the HMR, if it does not meet the definition of a\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nbattery or cell in Section 38.3.2.2 of the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria. Once again, it is the\nresponsibility of the shipper to determine whether any materials or contents that remain meet any\nHMR criteria for hazardous materials.\nI hope you find 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\nCardez\n24-0034\nFrom: INFOCNTR (PHMSA)\nTo: Dodd, Alice (PHMSA)\nCc: Hazmat Interps\nSubject: FW: Request for Letter of Interpretation of the HMR § 173.185(f)\nDate: Friday, May 24, 2024 4:50:01 PM\nAttachments: Request for Letter of Interpretation of the HMR § 173.185(f).msg\nHi Alice,\nPlease see the attached interpretation request.\nLet me know if you need anything.\nRegards,\n-Breanna\n-----Original Message-----\nFrom: Ben Smith <bsmith@proteq.com>\nSent: Friday, May 17, 2024 8:11 AM\nTo: PHMSA HM InfoCenter <PHMSAHMInfoCenter@dot.gov>\nCc: Robert Ashton <rashton@proteq.com>\nSubject: Request for Letter of Interpretation of the HMR § 173.185(f)\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.\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nFrom: Ben Smith\nTo: PHMSA HM InfoCenter\nCc: Robert Ashton\nSubject: Request for Letter of Interpretation of the HMR § 173.185(f)\nDate: Friday, May 17, 2024 8:11:27 AM\nAttachments: image001.jpg\nTo whom it may concern:\nWhen the regulatory language of §173.185(f) refers to damaged, defective, and\nrecalled cells, or batteries, for USDOT transportation purposes, if a lithium chemistry\nbattery has been processed – prior to transportation – to no longer have the potential\nto:\nBe Electrically charged\nNot hold any electrical charge, and can no longer be charged\nBe electrically connected to equipment (electrical plugs have been destroyed)\nHold no electrolyte, flammable or explosive liquids or gases\nIs destroyed beyond use as a battery, and/ or cell, so as not have the\noperational ability to provide power to equipment, and,\nDoes not present a dangerous evolution of heat, fire, and cannot be short\ncircuited, and;\nHas been tested IAW RCRA testing (TCLP, and ignitability) with results showing\nno FP below 140 degrees F, and no TCLP metals detected:\nThen, in the opinion of PHMSA, do these pretreated and processed non-batteries no\nlonger meet definition of a cell or battery?\nV/R,\nBen Smith\nSr. Multimodal DG Specialist • ProteQ\nmobile: (571) 449-0741\nemail: bsmith@proteq.com\n2325 Dulles Corner Blvd, Ste 725\nHerndon, VA 20171\nwww.proteq.com\nThis email and any attached files contain business sensitive information and are intended\nsolely for the use of the individual for whom they are addressed. If you are not the named\naddressee, do not disseminate, distribute or copy this email. Disclosing, copying, distributing\nor taking any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited. ProteQ\nis a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) as certified by the U.S.\nDepartment of Veterans Affairs (VA) Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE) verification\nprocess.","truncated":false,"body_characters":5194}