{"operation":"document","citation":"26-0031","title":"Washington State Department of Health — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2026-06-23","effective_on":null,"summary":"26-0031 response to Washington State Department of Health concerning 172.504, 172.505, 172.514, 173.427.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-26-0031.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-26-0031.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-26-0031","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2026-06/26-0031.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, DC 20590\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\nJune 23, 2026\nMr. Gregorio Rosado\nProject Lead, Low-Level Radioactive Waste Program\nWashington State Department of Health\nOffice of Radiation Detection\n101 Israel Rd., SE\nP.O. Box 47827\nOlympia, WA 98504-7827\nReference No. 26-0031\nDear Mr. Rosado:\nThis is in response to your March 4, 2026 letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous\nMaterials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to the placarding of bulk\npackagings containing Class 7 low specific activity (LSA) material transported under exclusive\nuse. Specifically, you seek clarification on whether the HM-250 final rule superseded previous\nguidance regarding the placarding of bulk packages.1\nWe have paraphrased and answered your questions as follows:\nQ1. You ask if § 172.514 requires a bulk package containing an LSA material consigned to\nexclusive use under § 173.427(b)(4) to be placarded if the transport vehicle is already\nproperly placarded.\nA1. Placards on the transport vehicle do not except the bulk package described in your letter\nfrom the hazard communication requirements of Part 172, subparts D, E, and F. Under\n§ 172.514(a), each person who offers for transportation a bulk packaging containing a\nhazardous material must affix the placards specified for the material in accordance with\n§§ 172.504 and 172.505. Section 172.504(e), Table 1, Footnote 1 requires Class 7\nRADIOACTIVE placards for all shipments required by § 173.427 to be operated under\nexclusive use. In addition, § 173.427(a)(6)(v) specifies that the shipment must be\nplacarded in accordance with subpart F of Part 172. Alternatively, a bulk packaging other\nthan a portable tank, cargo tank, flexible bulk container, or tank car with a volumetric\ncapacity of less than 18 cubic meters (640 cubic feet) may be placarded on two opposing\n1 HM-250 Final Rule, 79 FR 40590 (Jul. 11, 2014) available at:\nhttps://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2014/07/11/2014-15514/hazardous-materials-compatibility-with-the-\nregulations-of-the-international-atomic-energy-agency-rrr\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nsides or, alternatively, may be labeled instead of placarded in accordance with Part 172,\nsubpart E. See § 172.514(c).\nQ2. You ask if Letter of Interpretation (LOI) Reference Number 10-0032 remains valid after\nthe publication of the HM-250 final rule. You further ask that if not, to please identify the\nspecific regulatory amendment that superseded that interpretation.\nA2. Yes. The amendments adopted under the HM-250 final rule clarified the placarding\nrequirements and did not supersede this letter of interpretation. By revising\n§ 173.427(a)(6) to replace the phrase “transport vehicle” with “shipment,” PHMSA\ncorrected the misconception that only the vehicle requires placarding. As noted in the\npreamble to the HM-250 final rule, this change ensures that LSA material shipments meet\nall applicable subpart F placarding requirements, including those for bulk packaging in\n§ 172.514.\nI hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.\nSincerely,\nAlexander Wolcott\nActing Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch\nStandards and Rulemaking Division\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nPollack, A.\nSTATE\n26-0031\nSTATE OF WASHINGTON\nDEPARTMENT OF HEALTH\nOFFICE OF RADIATION PROTECTION\n101 Israel Road SE • PO Box 47827 • Olympia, Washington 98504-7827\n711 Washington Relay Service\nMarch 4, 2026\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\nSubject:\nRequest for Interpretation - Placarding of Bulk LSA Packages Transported Under\nExclusive Use\nDear Mr. Kelley,\nThe Washington State Department of Health (department), Office of Radiation Protection,\nrequests a written interpretation of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR Parts 171-180)\nregarding placarding requirements for bulk packages containing Class 7 low specific activity\n(LSA) material transported under exclusive-use provisions.\nThe department seeks clarification as to whether a bulk packaging (e.g., B-25 box) containing\nLSA material and consigned to exclusive use must be placarded in accordance with 49 CFR S\n172.514, or whether placarding of the conveyance alone satisfies the requirements of Subpart F\nof Part 172.\nPHMSA Letter of Interpretation Ref. No. 10-0032, dated April 2, 2010, addressed this issue in\nScenario 3 and concluded that bulk packages transported under exclusive use must be placarded\nin1 addition to the transport vehicle.\nSince issuance of LOI 10-0032, PHMSA adopted amendments to the Hazardous Materials\nRegulations in the July 11, 2014, final rule (79 Fed. Reg. 40624). Certain stakeholders have\nasserted that these amendments modified the placarding requirements such that bulk packages\ncontaining LSA material transported under exclusive use are no longer required to display\nplacards if the conveyance is properly placarded.\nAccordingly, the department requests clarification of the following:\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nMr. Shane Kelly\nMarch 4, 2026\nPage 2\n1. Under the current regulations, does 49 CFR § 172.514 require a bulk package containing\nLSA material and consigned to exclusive use under § 173.427(b)(4) to be placarded with\nClass 7 RADIOACTIVE placards?\n2. Does PHMSA consider LOI Ref. No. 10-0032 (April 2, 2010) to remain valid under the\npost-2014 regulatory framework? If not, please identify the specific regulatory\namendment that superseded that interpretation\nThe department seeks this clarification to ensure consistent and accurate application of federal\ntransportation requirements.\nSincerely,\nGregorio Rosado,\nProject Lead, Low-Level Radioactive Waste Program\nOffice of Radiation Protection\nWashington State Department of Health\nEmail: gregorio.rosado@doh.wa.gov","truncated":false,"body_characters":5893}