{"operation":"document","citation":"CHI-00-001","title":"Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2000-05-22","effective_on":null,"summary":"CHI-00-001 response to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority concerning 171.8.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-chi-00-001.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-chi-00-001.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-chi-00-001","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/Hazmat/ChiefCounsel/CHI-00-001.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nRoom 8407\n400 Seventh Street, S.W.\nSpecial Programs\nResearch and\nWashington, D.C. 20590\nAdministration\nOffice of the\nChief Counsel\nPhone: (202) 366-4400\nFax: (202) 366-7041\nMAY 22 2000\nCheryl C. Burke, Esq.\nGeneral Counsel\nWashington Metropolitan\nArea Transit Authority\n600 Fifth Street, NW\nWashington, DC\n20001\nDear Ms. Burke:\nThank you for your recent letter in which you requested\nconfirmation that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit\nAuthority (WMATA) is not subject to the requirement to register\nwith the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) and\nto pay a registration fee.\nAs you indicate, this letter follows\nup the discussions last December between WMATA\nstaff members and\ntwo persons at RSPA: David Donaldson, of RSPA's Office of\nHazardous Materials Planning and Analysis, and Frazer Hilder, of\nRSPA's Office of the Chief Counsel.\nAs Mr. Hilder explained at that time, the Hazardous Materials\ngovernmental agency when the agency (or its employees) actually\nRegulations (HMR), 49 C.F.R. Parts 171-180, do not apply to a\nperform the transportation as part of carrying out a governmental\nfunction (as opposed to\na commercial enterprise). See 49 U.S.C.\n$ 5102(9) and 49 C.F.R. $ 171.8 (defining a \"person\" to whom the\nregulations prescribed\nunder\n§ 5103(a) (a) apply) .\nWith respect to RSPA's registration requirement,\n49 U.S.C.\n§ 5108 (i) (2) (B) also specifically provides that \"a department of\nthe United States Government, [and] an authority of a State or a\npolitical subdivision of a State\" are not required to register\nand pay the registration fee.\nThis statutory exception is\nrepeated in RSPA's\nregulations at 49 C.F.R. § 107.606 (a) .\nAccording to your letter, WMATA is an interstate compact\nauthority and an agency of the District of Columbia, the State of\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\n2\nMaryland, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Accordingly, WMATA\nis excepted from the registration requirement in 49 C.F.R.\nwith\n$ 107.601 et seg., and it has never been required to register\nRSPA.\nBecause\nWMATA is covered by an exception in the law and\nregulations, there is no need for you to apply for an exemption\n\"exemption\"\nunder 49 U.S.C. § 5117.\nThe 2-year period for issuing an\ndoes not apply to an \"exception\" from the\nregulations.\nWMATA is also not subject to the other requirements in the HMR,\nexcept when it offers a hazardous material for transportation\nmaterial in furtherance of a commercial enterprise.\ncommerce (i.e., to a common carrier) or transports hazardous\ncontractor that offers or transports hazardous materials on\nHowever, a\nbehalf of WMATA is fully subject to the HMR.\nI hope this information is helpful. If you have additional\nquestions or we can be of further\nmyself or Mr. Hilder at 202-366-4400.\nassistance, please contact\nSincerely,\n4 Br\nEdward H. Bonekemper, III\nAssistant Chief Counsel for\nHazardous Materials Safety and\nResearch and Technology Law","truncated":false,"body_characters":2936}