# Village of Itasca — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** CHI-10-0239
- **title:** Village of Itasca — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2011-06-16
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** CHI-10-0239 response to Village of Itasca concerning 171.1.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-chi-10-0239.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-chi-10-0239.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-chi-10-0239
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/Hazmat/ChiefCounsel/CHI-10-0239.pdf
**body:**

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U.S. Department
of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.,
PHC-10, Room E26-331
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration
Office of
Nashington, D.C. 20590-000
Chief Counsel
Phone: (202)366-4400
Fax: (202) 366-7041
Email: joe.solomey@dot.gov
Hazardous Materials Safety Law
Division
LETTER OF INTERPRETATION
June 16, 2011
Nicole P. Aranas
Village of Itasca
Community Development Department
550 West Irving Park Rd.
Itasca, IL 60143
Reference No. 10-0239
Dear Ms. Aranas:
This is in response to your letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous Materials Regulations
(HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to the federal regulations pertaining to the storage of
hazardous material incident to transportation. You ask the following:
• Are rules established by a local zoning authority regulating the location of hazardous
material storage incident to movement preempted by federal hazardous materials
regulations?
• Do any Federal regulations limit the quantity of hazardous materials that may be stored
incidental to transport within a single building?
• Do any Federal regulations govern the size of a building that may be used for hazardous
materials storage incidental to transportation?
• Do any Federal regulations govern the level of fire protection required to be installed in a
building used for hazardous materials storage incidental to transport?
• Do any Federal regulations govern the distance permitted between a building used for
hazardous materials storage incidental to transport and other buildings?
• Is local authority to regulate buildings and land used for hazardous material storage
incidental to transport with respect to quantities of materials stored, sized of buildings

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used, level of fire protection installed and distance to other buildings otherwise
preempted by Federal regulations?
To answer your first question concerning preemption, as explained in §171.1(f) of the HMR, a
facility may be subject to applicable laws and regulations of state and local governments even
though functions are being performed at that facility which are regulated under the HMR.
However, a requirement of a state, local, or tribal government that conflicts with requirements in
the HMR is preempted, unless otherwise authorized by another Federal statute or the Department
of Transportation (DOT) issues a waiver of preemption. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration (PHMSA) makes a preemption determination applicable to specific non-
Federal requirements on a case-by-case basis. The procedures for the DOT to make
administrative determinations of preemption are set forth in subpart C of part 107.
As for your remaining questions, as noted, preemption determinations are made on a case-by-
case basis. We are unable to answer your questions definitively without a more detailed set of
facts on which to apply the HMR. However, DOT found that the HMR preempts non-Federal
requirements in the situations listed below, which we provide as a guide to further your
understanding.
1. Packing/Repacking of HM
•
State prohibition against any repackaging/re-containerization of hazardous
wastes is preempted as not substantially the same as requirements in the
HMR. PD-12(R) (New York), 60 Fed. Reg. 62527 (Dec. 6, 1995); PD-12(R)
(New York), 62 Fed. Reg. 15970 (Apr. 8, 1997); PD-25(R) (Missouri) 66 Fed.
Reg. 37089 (July 16, 2001).
2. Marking/Labeling/Placarding
• Requirements for identification/registration/inspection certification on
packagings and distinctive labels on outer containers are preempted because
they are not "substantively the same" as HMR requirements for marking and
labeling. PD-4(R) (California), 58 Fed. Reg. 48933 (Sept. 20, 1993); PD-4(R)
(California), 60 Fed. Reg. 8800 (Feb. 15, 1995); PD-29(R) (Massachusetts) 69
Fed. Reg. 34715 (June22, 2004).
• Placarding and other hazarding warning requirements are preempted if they
are in addition to or different from Federal placarding requirements. IR-2
(Rhode Island), 44 Fed. Reg. 75566 (Dec. 20, 1979); IR-3 (Boston, MA), 46
Fed. Reg. 18918 (Mar. 26, 1981); IR-3 (Boston, MA), 47 Fed. Reg. 18457
(Apr. 29, 1982); IR-24 (San Antonio, TX) 53 Fed. Reg. 19848 (May 31,
1988), IR-30 (Oakland, CAa), 55 Fed. Reg. 9676 (Mar. 14, 1990); IR-30
(Oakland, CA), 55 Fed. Reg. 12111 (Mar. 30, 1990).
2

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3. Shipping Papers
• Additional or different shipping paper requirements are generally preempted.
IR-4 (Washington State), 47 Fed. Reg. 1231 (Jan. 11, 1982); IR-4
(Washington State), 47 Fed. Reg. 33357 (Aug. 2, 1982); IR-4 (Washington
State), 47 Fed. Reg. 34074 (Aug. 5, 1982).
4. Segregation/Separation/Interim Storage
• State or local prohibition of hazardous material storage incidental to
transportation without a state or local permit at places where, and for times
when, the HMR allow such storage is preempted. PD-30(R) (Houston,
Texas), 71 Fed. Reg. 9413 (Feb. 23, 2006).
• State or local imposition of containment and segregation requirements for the
storage of HM incidental to transportation thereof different from, or
additional to those in the HMR create confusion concerning such
requirements and the likelihood of noncompliance with the HMR. IR-19
(Nevada), 52 Fed. Reg. 24404 (June 30, 1987); IR-19 (Nevada), 52 Fed. Reg.
29468 (Aug. 7, 1987); IR-19 (Nevada), 53 Fed. Reg. 11600 (Apr. 7, 1988);
IR-28 (San Jose, CA) 55 Fed. Reg. 8884 (Mar. 8, 1990).
5. Routing Requirements
• Without adequate safety justification and appropriate coordination with, and
concern for safety of people in, adjoining jurisdictions, routing restrictions
(including time and weather restrictions) are preempted - particularly if they
result in increased transit times. 49 CFR 397.
I hope this information is helpful. Please contact this office if you have any additional questions.
Sincerely,
Jawl Solomy
Joseph Solomey,
Assistant Chief Counsel for
Hazardous Materials Safety
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