{"operation":"document","citation":"CHI-94-007","title":"Minnesota Department of Transportation — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"1994-01-24","effective_on":null,"summary":"CHI-94-007 response to Minnesota Department of Transportation concerning 180.407.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-chi-94-007.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-chi-94-007.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-chi-94-007","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/Hazmat/ChiefCounsel/CHI-94-007.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nUS DE:-porrmenr\nof T rorispo' :or:or\n·Research and\nSpecial Programs\nAdministration\nO'l1ce o: :~e\nC:· .ef Ccv . ~ se·\nj()(\" Seve'1th SI S IN\nVv'asn1ngrcr--, CC ~fC: 59 :=\nJAN 2 4 1994\nMr. James N. Denn\nCommissioner\nMinnesota Department of Transportation\nTransportation Building\n395 John Ireland Boulevard\nSaint Paul, MN 55155\nDe a r Commissioner Dean:\nI urn responding to your November 12, 1993 letter requesting\ncomments on Minnesota Statutes, section 221.033, subdivisions\n2b and 4, concerning the transportation of gasoline within the\nState of Minnesota in cargo tanks with a capacity of 3,000\ngallons or less.\nAs I believe you already understand, the Research and Special\nPrograms Administration (RSPA) does not have adequate resources\nto conduct thorough reviews of State and local requirements\noutside of the preemption determination process set forth in\n49 C.F.R. § 107.201 et seq. Moreover, informal reviews are\nhindered by the absence of the public input that occurs in the\nformal determination process established in the 1990 amendments\nto the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (HMTA), at 49 App.\nu . s .c. § 18ll(c) (1).\nNone theless, at your request, I have briefly reviewed\nsubdivisions 2b and 4 of Minn. Stat. § 221.033, and I am\nprov iding you with my personal, informal, and unofficial\ncomments as to whether those subdivisions are preempted by the\nHMT' A .\nNon -Federal requirements that concern certain \"covered subjects\"\nand are not \"substantively the same as\" requirements in the HMTA\nor the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) are specifically\npreempted by the HMTA. 49 App. U.S.C. §§ 1804(a) (4) (a),\n18ll(a) (3). These \"covered subjects\" include the \"maintenance\n. or testing of a package or container which is represented,\nmarked, certified, or sold as qualified for use in the\ntransportation of hazardous materials.\" 49 App. u.s.c.\n§ 1804(a)(4)(B)(v).\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\n2\nAccording to your letter, subdivision 1 of Minn. Stat. § 221.033\nmakes the HMR applicable to the transportation of hazardous\nmaterials (including hazardous substances and hazardous wastes)\nwithin the State of Minnesota. This would include the HMR's\nrequirement for use of DOT specification cargo tanks to\ntransport gasoline. Therefore, it appears that Minnesota does\nnot authorize any non-DOT specification cargo tanks for\ntransportation of gasoline within the State of Minnesota. (At\npresent, intrastate motor carriers are subject to the HMR only\nwhen they transport hazardous wastes, hazardous substances,\nmarine pollutants, and flammable cryogenic liquids in cargo\ntanks and portable tanks. If the proposed rule in RSPA's\nDocket No. HM-200 is adopted, see 58 Fed. Reg. 36923-24 [July 9,\n1993], correction, 58 Fed. Reg. 38112 [July 15, 1993), the HMR's\nrequirement for the use of DOT specification cargo tanks, in\n49 C.F.R. Part 173, and the testing requirements in 49 C.F.R.\nPart 180, will apply to all motor carriers on and after\nOctober 1, 1996.)\nAll DOT specification cargo tanks, other than MC 338, must be\ntested for leaks in accordance with 49 C.F.R. § 180.407(h),\nunder the schedule set forth in 49 C.F.R. § 180.407(c). There\nis no exception for cargo tanks of 3,000 gallons or less used\nfor the transportation of flammable liquids. (Prior to\nDecember 31, 1990, the inspection and testing requirements in\nformer 49 C.F.R. § 177.824 did not apply to cargo tanks of\n\"3,000 gallons or less used exclusively for the transportation\nof flammable liquids.\" That exception was eliminated as of\nDecember 31, 1990, and all cargo tank motor vehicles must\nconform to the \"retest and inspection requirements set forth\nin subpart E or part 180\" of 49 C.F.R.)\nAccordingly, I conclude that the HMTA preempts those provisions\nof subdivisions 2b and 4 of Minn. Stat. § 221.033 that except\nDOT specification cargo tanks of 3,000 gallons or less from\ninspection and testing requirements in the HMR, because these\nprovisions are not \"substantively the same as\" the maintenance\nand testing requirements in the HMR.\nYour letter does not contain sufficient information for me to\ncomment on any other \"inspection, testing, and registration\nrequirements\" that may be established for cargo tanks with a\ncapacity of 3,000 gallons or less that are used to transport\ngasoline solely within the State of Minnesota.\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\n3\nAs you note, RSPA recently issued a preemption determination\nconcerning California's inspection and registration requirements\ncovering tanks used to transport flammable and combustible\nliquids. PD-4(R), 58 Fed. Reg. 48933, Sept. 20, 1993. A\npetition for reconsideration of PD-4(R) has been submitted, and,\nwhen RSPA issues its decision on the petition for\nreconsideration, you may find further guidance from PD-4(R).\nFor additional information, I enclose the most recent index and\nsummary of preemption determinations and inconsistency rulings\nissued by RSPA. ·\nPlease feel free to contact Frazer Hilder of my staff at the\nabove address, or by telephone at 202-366-4400, if you wish to\ndiscuss any of these matters further.\nSincerely,\n. ~:-_.., - - ~ ~\n-\n. ;;:;- ----\n_-: ; ~ _,,/:' / / -z · -\n_ -:;,/ / ' / ~- ~\nEdward H. Banek mper, III\nAssistant Chief Counsel for\nHazardous Materials Safety and\nResearch and Technology Law\nEnclosure","truncated":false,"body_characters":5260}