{"operation":"document","citation":"98-0209","title":"Elf Atochem North America, Inc — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"1998-09-29","effective_on":null,"summary":"98-0209 response to Elf Atochem North America, Inc concerning 177.843.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-98-0209.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-98-0209.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-98-0209","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/1998/980209.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\n400 Seventh Street, S.W.\nWashington, D.C.\n20590\nResearch and\nSpecial Programs\nAdministration\nRef. No. 98-0209\nSEP\n29 1998\nMr. William Oister\n2000 Market Street\nElf Atochem North America, Inc.\nPhiladelphia, PA\n19103-3222\nDear Mr. Oister:\nThis is in response to your letter requesting clarification of\n49 CFR 177.834 (h). Specifically, you ask whether an IM\nportable tank on a chassis which\nis not connected to a power\nunit is subject to the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49\nCFR, Parts\n171-180).\nAs discussed in the preamble of the notice of proposed\nrulemaking (NPRM) under Docket RSPA-97-2905 (HM-166Y) (copy\nenclosed), it is this Office's position that highway\ntransportation ceases when the IM portable tank has been\nremoved from the trailer and placed on the consignee's\npremises, or the motive power has been removed from the trailer\nand disconnected from the premises. Accordingly, under these\nconditions, the IM portable tank would not be subject to the\nHMR.\nPlease contact us if we may be of further assistance.\nSincerely,\nHattie I. Mitchell, Chief\nRegulatory Review and Reinvention\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Standards\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nelf, atochem\nюo Market Stre\n1 Atochem North America, Ir\nPhiladelphia, PA 19103-322\nATO\nTel.: 215.419.7000\nmanture\n§177.834\nJuly 15, 1998\nU.S. Department of Transportation\nRSPA\n400 Seventh St., S.W.\nWashington, D.C.\nAttention:\n20590-0001\nMr. E. Mazzullo, Director\nOffice of Hazardous Material Standards [DHM-10]\nRe: HM-166Y; 8177.834\nDear Mr. Mazzullo:\ntelephone conversations.\nThis letter requests a written confirmation of information that DOT has provided during recent\nremoved from a motor vehicle. The rule also added conditions [§177.834(o)] that applied to\nunloading the IMportable tanks while they remained on the transport vehicle. These conditions\ninclude that the 'tank meets the outlet requirements in Sec. §178.345-11'.\nWith this as background and with our understanding that the majority of IM portable tanks in use\ntoday do not meet the requirements of §178.345-11, on 7/10/98 I called the DOT 'Hot Line' and\nspoke with \"Mark'. The scenario was proposed that an IM portable tank mounted on a chassis is\nbrought into one of our plants; the tank/chassis is then disconnected from the tractor. We\nquestioned whether, within the context of §177.834(h), disconnecting the tank/chassis from the\npower unit constitutes removing the tank from the motor vehicle, and therefore, could the tank be\nunloaded while it was on the chassis, but not attached to the power unit.\nThe answer we received was that if the power unit was not attached, the IM portable tank [on the\nchassis] is not in transportation. The message that we take from this is that if the power unit is\nnot attached, the tank on the chassis would not be subject to any of DOT's hazardous material\nregulations.\n•\n*\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nWe are requesting confirmation that an IM portable tank on a chassis, but not connected to a\npower unit, is not subject to DOT's hazardous material regulations, and specifically that the\nfollowing Sections of the regulations do not apply:\n§177.834(h)\nprohibition from discharging the contents of a container before the\n•\n$177.834(0)\ncontainer is removed from the motor vehicle.\nrequirements for unloading IM portable tanks\n•\n$177.834(i)\nattendance requirements.\n§171.15/.16\nrelease reporting requirements.\nThank you for your prompt response.\nSincerely,\nWilliam List\nWilliam Oister\nTransportation Manager,\nRegulatory Compliance\nElf Atochem North America, Inc.\nPhone:\n215-419-7253\nFax:\n215-419-5220\nE-mail:\nwoister@ato.com\n-\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nCERTIFIED\n-\nelf atochem\nPRUE\nATO\nZ 146 714 834\n2000 Market Street\nElf Atochem North America, Inc.\nFHILE FA\nHE!\nPhiladelphia, PA 19103-3222\nMAIL\n6795214\nFAME TEN.\n× 04\nUS Department of Transportation\nMr. E. Mazzullo - Director\nRSPA\n400 Seventh St., S.W.\nWashington, DC 20590-0001\nE-16\n20590-0001","truncated":false,"body_characters":3930}