{"operation":"document","citation":"24-0108","title":"LANXESS Corporation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2025-04-01","effective_on":null,"summary":"24-0108 response to LANXESS Corporation concerning 172.101, 178.273.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-24-0108.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-24-0108.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-24-0108","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2025-04/240108.pdf","body":"<<>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590\nApril 1, 2025\nCyndi Fink\nDangerous Goods Transportation Manager\nLANXESS Corporation\n111 RIDC Park West Drive\nPittsburgh, PA 15108\nReference No. 24-0108\nDear Ms. Fink:\nThis letter is in response to your November 8, 2024 email requesting clarification of the\nHazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to United Nations\n(UN) specification portable tanks. You state that your company manufactures “UN1738, Benzyl\nchloride, 6.1 (8), PG II” and packages it in UN specification portable tanks, in accordance with\nportable tank instruction T8 assigned to UN1738 in Column (7) of the § 172.101 Hazardous\nMaterials Table (HMT). Portable tank instruction T8 prohibits the use of bottom openings for\nportable tanks containing this material. You further add that you are looking to change the\nmeans to unload these portable tanks to allow unloading at ground level. Specifically, your\ncompany proposes to add a hard piped extension to the top unloading valve flange and internal\ndip tube and direct this extension along the outside of the portable tank cladding to a secondary\nunloading valve that can be operated from ground level during unloading. You ask whether this\nproposed change to the UN specification portable tank would be considered a “modification” as\nstated in § 178.273(e) and require approval of the modification by an approval agency.\nYes. It is the opinion of this Office that the installation of the proposed non-removable piping on\nan approved portable tank design would constitute a modification of an approved portable tank\nbecause the hard piped extension may affect conformance with HMR portable tank design\n\n<<>>\n\nrequirements and the safe use of the portable tank. Thus, the portable tank with the proposed\nnon-removable piping installed would be subject to the requirements in § 178.273(e).\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<<>>\n\nCardez\n24-0108\nFrom: INFOCNTR (PHMSA)\nTo: Dodd, Alice (PHMSA)\nCc: Hazmat Interps\nSubject: FW: Request for Letter of Interpretation/UN Portable Tanks\nDate: Friday, November 8, 2024 2:32:38 PM\nAttachments: 2024-11-8 LOI Request.pdf\nHello Alice,\nPlease see the attached interpretation request. Let us know if you need anything.\nSincerely,\nJanaye\nFrom: Fink, Cyndi \nSent: Friday, November 8, 2024 2:16 PM\nTo: INFOCNTR (PHMSA) \nSubject: Request for Letter of Interpretation/UN Portable Tanks\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 see attached request for a letter of interpretation regarding UN Portable tanks.\nThank you for your review and response.\nCyndi\n---------------------------------------\nCyndi Fink, DGSA, CDGP\nDangerous Goods Transportation Manager\nLANXESS Corporation\n111 RIDC Park West Drive\nPittsburgh, PA\nCell (preferred): 412.337.2350\nOffice: 412.809.4774\ncyndi.fink@lanxess.com\n\n<<>>\n\nMr. Shane Kelley\nDirector, Standards and Rulemaking Division\nU.S. DOT/PHMSA (PHH-10)\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE East Building, 2nd Floor\nWashington, DC 20590\ninfocntr@dot.gov\nSubject: Letter of Interpretation Request: Modification of UN Portable Tank (via email)\nTo Whom It May Concern:\nWe are seeking an interpretation of 49CFR relating to changes to a UN Portable Tank as detailed in\n178.273(e).\nOur company manufactures benzyl chloride (UN1738) in Germany and packages the material in UN\nPortable Tanks. As required by the packing instructions in 49CFR172.101, UN Portable Tanks of T8\nor above are used for transport, equipped with top load/unload valves and flanges, since bottom\nunloading is not permitted per 49CFR178.275(d). Material is shipped from our manufacturing\nlocation in Germany to US customers.\nSome of our US customers have requested a means to unload these tanks from the ground level for\neasier access during unloading. To accommodate our customers, we are proposing adding a hard\npiped extension to the top unloading valve flange and internal dip tube, and direct this extension\nalong the outside of the tank cladding to a secondary unload valve that can be operated from the\nground during unloading. In addition, we are proposing the main unloading valve on the top of the\ntank be equipped with a remote valve cable extension that will allow manual opening and closing of\nthe main valve from the ground level. All extension piping and remote valve will be located inside the\nframe of the Portable Tank.\nWould these proposed changes to this Portable Tank be considered “modifications” as noted in\n49CFR178.273(e)?\nSincerely,\nCyndi Fink\nDangerous Goods Transportation Manager\nNovember 8, 2024\nLANXESS Corporation\nCyndi Fink\nPSRA | PTSE\n111 RIDC Park West Drive\nPittsburgh, PA 15275\nPhone: 412-809-4774\nEmail: cyndi.fink@lanxess.com\nwww.us.lanxess.com\nPage 1 of 1","truncated":false,"body_characters":5218}