{"operation":"document","citation":"24-0091","title":"AdvanSix Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2025-01-10","effective_on":null,"summary":"24-0091 response to AdvanSix Inc. concerning 173.150.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-24-0091.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-24-0091.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-24-0091","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2025-01/240091.pdf","body":"<<>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\nJanuary 10, 2025\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590\nLarry D. Buffey\nDangerous Goods Compliance Leader\nAdvanSix Inc.\nAttn: Wenfang Chen\n300 Kimball Drive Suite 100\nParsippany, NJ 07054\nReference No. 24-0091\nDear Mr. Buffey:\nThis letter is in response to your September 19, 2024, email and subsequent conversations\nrequesting clarification of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180)\napplicable to combustible liquid provisions. Specifically, you ask whether non-bulk, bulk, and\nreportable quantities of “UN1915, Cyclohexanone, 3, PG III” that meet the reclassification\nrequirements for a combustible liquid would qualify for certain combustible liquid exceptions\nunder § 173.150(f).\nIf “UN1915, Cyclohexanone, 3, PG III” is properly reclassified as a combustible liquid, shipped\nin non-bulk packaging, and does not meet the definition of a hazardous substance, hazardous\nwaste, or marine pollutant, the exceptions in § 173.150(f)(2) apply when transported by highway\nor rail—i.e., the requirements in the HMR do not apply. However, if “UN1915, Cyclohexanone,\n3, PG III” is properly reclassified as a combustible liquid and is shipped in bulk packaging or\nmeets the definition of a hazardous substance, hazardous waste, or marine pollutant, the\nprovisions in § 173.150(f)(3) apply when shipped by highway or rail—which provide limited\nexceptions while maintaining certain requirements including, but not limited to, shipping papers,\nmarking of packages, and placarding when applicable.\nI hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.\nSincerely,\nSteven Andrews\nActing Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<>>\n\n24-0091\nJacobson\nJones, Jessie Jane CTR (PHMSA)\nFrom: INFOCNTR (PHMSA)\nSent: Monday, October 7, 2024 2:48 PM\nTo: Dodd, Alice (PHMSA)\nCc: Hazmat Interps\nSubject: FW: Request for a letter of interpretation for Cyclohexanone UN1915 and the\nCombustible liquid exemption 173.150(f)\nFollow Up Flag: Follow up\nFlag Status: Flagged\nGood Afternoon Alice,\nSee the interpretation request below. Let us know if you need anything else.\nBest,\nAminah\nFrom: Buffey, Larry \nSent: Monday, October 7, 2024 12:36 PM\nTo: INFOCNTR (PHMSA) \nSubject: Re: Request for a letter of interpretation for Cyclohexanone UN1915 and the Combustible liquid exemption\n173.150(f)\nCAUTION: This email originated from outside of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Do not click on links\nor open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.\nMailing address:\nAttn: Larry Buffey\n634 SW 12th Street\nCape Coral, FL 33991\nLarry D. Buffey Jr\nPrinciple Product Stewardship Leader; Dangerous Goods Compliance Leader\nAdvanSix Inc.\nOffice: +1 (973) 526-1633\nBusiness Cell: +1 (810) 931-0280\nPCell: +1 (810) 624-9935\n1\n\n<<>>\n\nLarry.Buffey@Advansix.com\nAdvanSix.com\nFrom: INFOCNTR (PHMSA) \nSent: Thursday, September 26, 2024 2:54 PM\nTo: Buffey, Larry \nSubject: RE: Request for a letter of interpretation for Cyclohexanone UN1915 and the Combustible liquid exemption\n173.150(f)\nDear Mr. Buffey, We have received y our request for a written letter of interpretation regardi ng the hazar dous materials regulations (49 CFR Parts 171 -180 ). The hazardous materials regulations are available at the followi ng URL: https: //www. e cfr. gov/cgi -bin/text-idx?SID=1d4 9a3b1 37cb1b6fc452 51074 e634b4 4&t pl=/ecfrbr owse/Title49 /49tab_ 02. tpl\nZjQcmQRYFpfptBa nnerStart\nThis Message Is From an External Sender\nThis message came from outside AdvanSix\nDo not click on links or open attachments without verifying sender and URLs\nReport Suspicious\nZjQcmQRYFpfptBa nnerE nd\nDear Mr. Buffey,\nWe have received your request for a written letter of interpretation regarding the hazardous\nmaterials regulations (49 CFR Parts 171-180). The hazardous materials regulations are\navailable at the following URL:\nhttps://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-\nidx?SID=1d49a3b137cb1b6fc45251074e634b44&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title49/49tab_02.tpl\n[ecfr.gov]\nHowever, before we can submit your request for processing, please respond to this email with:\n Physical Mailing Address\nSincerely,\nAminah, Hazardous Materials Specialist\nAn e-mail response from this office is considered informal guidance. Formal guidance may be\nrequested in accordance with 49 CFR 105.20. https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/standards-\nrulemaking/hazmat/hazardous-materials-information-center [phmsa.dot.gov]\nFrom: Buffey, Larry \nSent: Thursday, September 19, 2024 8:47 AM\nTo: PHMSA HM InfoCenter \nSubject: Request for a letter of interpretation for Cyclohexanone UN1915 and the Combustible liquid exemption\n173.150(f)\n2\n\n<<>>\n\nCAUTION: This email originated from outside of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Do not click on links\nor open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.\nGood morning,\nMY name is Larry Buffey and I work for a chemical manufacturer. We produce and ship Cyclohexanone globally.\nWe have recently taken advantage of the ability to reclassify Cyclohexanone under the 173.150 (f)Exemption. We\nship in Bulk and Non-bulk. We have a drumming facility that is expressing the concern that the non-bulk packaging\nstill requires the Combustible Liquid Marking on the Drum.\nThe question is if Cyclohexanone is still considered a hazardous material or not. and whether the Non-bulk\npackaging is required to display markings.\nHere is how AdvanSix understand the regulation as follows,\nUN1915, Cyclohexanone is a flammable liquid with a FP of 44°C / BP 155.6°C (according to the our SDS\n[advansix.store]), and it meets the classification criteria as a hazardous material (PG III).\nIt is authorized in the hazmat table to be shipped under the exceptions of §173.150. That allows Nadone to be\nshipped as a limited quantity in inner packagings up to 5L each and it provides the option of reclassifying it to a\ncombustible liquid.\nAs you know a flammable liquid MAY be reclassified as a combustible liquid for domestic ground transportation if\nthe flash point is ≥38°C. This provides an exemption from marking, labeling, UN specification packaging and\nshipping papers. It is an option.\nUN1915 shipped under an exception (combustible liquid) is still a hazardous material but it can be shipped as “not\nregulated”. However, if it is transported by air or vessel, it must be transported as UN1915, Cyclohexanone as\ncombustible liquid is not recognized by those modes of transport.\nI am requesting a formal letter of interpretation on this topic. Please contact me for any question you may have\nregarding this.\nLarry D. Buffey Jr\nPrinciple Product Stewardship Leader; Dangerous Goods Compliance Leader\nAdvanSix Inc.\nOffice: +1 (973) 526-1633\nBusiness Cell: +1 (810) 931-0280\n3\n\n<<>>\n\nPCell: +1 (810) 624-9935\nLarry.Buffey@Advansix.com\nAdvanSix.com\n4","truncated":false,"body_characters":7122}