# Missouri Trucking Association — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** CHI-11-001
- **title:** Missouri Trucking Association — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2011-05-10
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** CHI-11-001 response to Missouri Trucking Association concerning 172.701.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-chi-11-001.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-chi-11-001.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-chi-11-001
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/Hazmat/ChiefCounsel/CHI-11-001.pdf
**body:**

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U.S. Department
of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20590
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration
Chief Counsel
Office of
MAY 1 0 2011
Mr. Ronald D. Breau, CDS
Vice President
Missouri Trucking Association
102 East High Street
P.O. Box 1247
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Dear Mr. Breau:
The Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has
asked me to respond to your April 26, 2011 letter in which you state that the Missouri Propane
Gas Commission has "proposed a rule that would require proper training for any persons in the
business of transporting LPG to register."
The Hazardous Materials Regulations, 49 C.F.R. parts 171-180, prescribe "minimum training
requirements" for "hazmat employees," i.e., persons who in the course of their employment
directly affect hazardous materials transportation safety. "For motor vehicle drivers, however, a
State may impose more stringent training requirements only if those requirements-(a) Do not
conflict with the training requirements in [the HMR]; and (b) Apply only to drivers domiciled in
that State." 49 C.F.R. § 172.701.
As you note, the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA, the predecessor agency
to PHMSA) has previously considered State requirements applicable to motor vehicle drivers
who transport propane. In several preemption determinations (PDs), RSPA found that a State
may not apply more stringent training requirements to motor vehicle drivers who are not
domiciled within that State. PD-7(R) (Maryland), 59 Fed. Reg. 28913 (June 3, 1994); PD-13(R)
(Nassau County, NY), 63 Fed. Reg. 45283 (Aug. 25, 1998), decision on petition for
reconsideration, 65 Fed. Reg. 60238 (Oct. 10. 2000); PD-22(R) (New Mexico), 67 Fed. Reg.
59396 (Sept. 20, 2002), decision on petition for reconsideration, 68 Fed. Reg. 55080 (Sept. 22,
2003).
If a hazmat employee training requirement applicable to drivers of motor vehicles transporting
propane is adopted by the Missouri Propane Gas Commission, you may apply to PHMSA's

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Chief Counsel in accordance with 49 C.F.R. §§ 107.201 et seq. for a determination whether that
training requirement is preempted by Federal hazardous material transportation law, 49 U.S.C.
§ 5101 et seq. However, PHMSA does not issue preemption determinations with respect to a
proposed State requirement that has not yet been adopted.
I hope this information is helpful. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact
Frazer C. Hilder of my office at 202-366-4400, by fax to 202-366-7041, or by email to
mike.hilder@dot.gov.
Sincerely,
Jout Solony
Joseph Solomey
Assistant Chief Counsel for
Hazardous Materials Safety Law
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