{"operation":"document","citation":"99-0323","title":"Piper, Marbury, Rudnick, & Wolfe, L.LP. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2000-01-27","effective_on":null,"summary":"99-0323 response to Piper, Marbury, Rudnick, & Wolfe, L.LP. concerning 173.22.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-99-0323.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-99-0323.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-99-0323","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/1999/990323.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nUS. Department\nof Transportation\n40D Seventh Street, S.W\n. Special Programs\nResearch and\nNashington, D.C\n20590\nJAN 2 7 2000\nAdministration\nMr. Steven J. Groseclose\n1200 194 Street, NW\nPiper, Marbury, Rudnick, & Wolfe, L.L.P.\nRef. No. 99-0323\nWashington, D.C. 20036-2412\nDear Mr. Groseclose:\nThis is in reference to your letter concerning highway shipments of articles containing polychlorinated\nbiphenyls (PCBs) and mercury-containing fluorescent lighting tubes under the Hazardous Materials\nRegulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180).\nYou are correct in your understanding that a transformer containing a PCB laden dielectric fluid is only\nregulated by highway as a hazardous substance if the one pound reportable quantity (RQ) of PCBs is\nmet or exceeded in one package at a concentration by weight of 20 ppm or greater. If you meet or\nexceed the RQ per package and are transporting PCBs by highway, the packing group for this\nshipment would read \"PG II\" instead of \"PG II\" as specified in § 172.101(f).\nAdditionally, you requested confirmation that mercury-containing lamps which are considered universal\nwastes by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are not considered hazardous wastes by the\nDepartment of Transportation and ask whether these lamps are regulated under the HMR. Universal\nwastes do not meet the definition of a hazardous waste in § 171.8 because universal wastes are not\nsubject to EPA's hazardous waste manifest requirements. Mercury is only regulated in air and water\nshipments and mercury contained in manufactured articles is only regulated in air shipments. Thus, if\nyour highway shipment of mercury-containing lamps does not meet the definition of a hazardous\nsubstance or any other hazard, then it is not regulated by the HMR.\nI hope this satisfies your request.\nSincerely,\nLila Bli\nDelmer F. Billings\nChief, Standards Development\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Standards\n173.22\n990323\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\n-\nPIPER\nMARBURY\nRUDNICK\n&WOLFE LIr\n1200 Nineteenth Street, N.W\nWRITER'S INFORMATION\nwww.piperrudnick.com\nWashington, D.C. 20036-241:\nsteven.groseclose@piperrudnick.com\nFAX\nPHONE (202) 861-6455\n(202) 223-2085\nNOW: (202) 353-308\n202) 223-208\nDecember 3, 1999\nHAND DELIVERY\nEdward T. Mazzullo\nDirector, Office of Hazardous Materials Standards\nResearch and Special Programs Administration\nU.S. Department of Transportation\n400 Seventh Street, S.W.\nWashington, D.C. 20590-0001\nATTENTION: Delmer F. Billings\nRe:\nRequest for Regulatory Guidance on Transportation of Electrical\nTransformers, PCBs, and Discarded Mercury-Containing Fluorescent\nTubes\nDear Mr. Mazzullo:\nI am writing on behalf of Arizona Public Service Company (APS), an electric\nutility company that transports by public highway, among other materials, electrical\ntransformers, non-bulk packages of dielectric fluid containing low concentrations of\npolychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and recyclable mercury-containing fluorescent\nlighting tubes, in the course of providing and maintaining electric service to its\ncustomers. I request written confirmation of the Company's understanding of the\nrequirements of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) as they apply to these\nmaterials.\nCHICAGO\nBALTIMORE\nWASHINGTON\nNEW YORK\nPHILADELPHIA\nTAMPA\n| DALLAS I\nRESTON\n-\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nPIPER\nMARBURY\nRUDNICK\nEdward T. Mazzullo\n& WOLFE LLP\nDecember 3, 1999\nPage 2\nISSUES\nI.\nHMR Status of Transformers\nElectrical transformers use mineral oil-based dielectric fluids that may contain\nCBs at low concentrations. PCBs and PCB articles are regulated under the Toxic\nSubstances Control Act (TSCA) and are not considered hazardous wastes under the\nederal hazardous waste program. EPA's 40 C.F.R. Part 261 hazardous waste manifes\nequirements do not apply, and PCBs and PCB articles therefore do not meet DOT'\ndefinition of hazardous waste. No other potential hazardous materials are present in the\ndielectric fluid.\nAPS transports its transformers only by public highway. The transformers are\nmaintenance circumstances. We request your confirmation that transformers containing\ndrained prior to transport or are transported with dielectric fluid present, depending upon\ndielectric fluid or residues of dielectric fluid are not regulated under the HMR when\ntransported by public highway when they do not contain the 1 pound reportable quantity\n(RO) of PCBs at a concentration by weight of 20 ppm or greater.\nIl.\nPacking Group for Hazardous Substance Quantity PCBs Transported by\nPublic Highway\nWhen PCB-containing dielectric fluids or other PCB-containing materials are\nshipped in a package at a concentration equal to or exceeding 20 ppm and in a quantity\nmeeting the 1 pound RQ, the materials meet the HMR's definition of hazardous\nsubstance, and APS manages them as hazardous materials. The PCB listing in the\nHazardous Material Table is preceded by the letters \"A\" and \"W\". Therefore, pursuant to\n49 C.F.R. § 172.101(f), APS ships these materials by public highway in contormance\nwith the HMR's requirements for Packing Group III rather than the Packing Group II\ndesignation listed in the Hazardous Materials Table. Please confirm that Packing Group\nIII is appropriate for PCBs in hazardous substance quantities/concentrations transported\nby public highway.\nIII.\nHMR Status of Universal Waste Mercury-Containing Fluorescent\nLighting Tubes\nAPS transports by public highway used mercury-containing fluorescent lighting\ntubes in the course of routine maintenance and energy efficiency (\"demand side\nmanagement\"') programs. Under EPA's Universal Waste Rule, a \"universal waste\" is not\nsubject to EPA's hazardous waste manifest requirements. EPA's regulations allow\nauthorized states to add materials, such as mercury-containing fluorescent lighting tubes.\n\n<<<PAGE 4>>>\n\nPIPER\nMARBURY\nRUDNICK\nEdward T. Mazzullo\n& WOLFE LLP\nDecember 3, 1999\nPage 3\nto the list of universal wastes. Arizona has received final authorization to implement the\ndo not qualify as hazardous substances.\n*****\nThank you very much for your consideration of these issues. If I can provide\nadditional information, please call me at (202) 861-6455.\nVery truly yours,\nSteven J. Groseclose\nCc:\nJames J. Hamula, Gallagher & Kennedy, P.A.\nKarilee Ramaley, Arizona Public Service Company\nDavid Martinez, Arizona Public Service Company","truncated":false,"body_characters":6281}