PHMSA Proposes 19 Updates to Hazmat Regulations

DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a notice of proposed rulemaking on August 14, 2019 to make a handful of changes to the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR). The proposal is a response to industry petitions to update, clarify, and provide relief from certain hazardous materials regulatory requirements.

Need a course to meet DOT’s 3-year hazmat training mandate at 49 CFR 172.704? Find convenient, effective online hazmat training to prepare, offer, and document highway shipments with confidence.   

The changes proposed impact hazmat requirements related to rail tank cars, mobile refrigeration units, special provisions for explosives, marking of portable tanks, documents incorporated by reference in the HMR, and other hazmat shipping regulations.

Among the 19 proposed HMR updates are rule changes to:

• Prohibit after December 31, 2020 the use of rail tank cars with shells or heads constructed of non-normalized steel used for transportation of poison by inhalation (PIH) materials.
• Expand limited quantity exceptions for 114 corrosive materials to harmonize with international regulations.
• Allow for smaller proper shipping name markings (minimum 12 mm) on portable tanks with a capacity less than 1,000 gallons (3,785 liters).
• Clarify the cleaning standards for metal drums for reuse at 49 CFR 173.28(c)(1)(i).
• Allow for all waste materials to be managed in accordance with the lab pack exception at 173.12 whether or not they meet the definition of a hazardous waste per EPA or RCRA.  

See full list of proposed changes in the August 14, 2019 Federal Register.

PHMSA will accept public comments on the proposed changes until October 15, 2019.

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All hazmat employees need a solid grasp of the 49 CFR, IATA DGR, and IMDG Code regulations to maintain compliance. Every step of the hazmat shipping process is regulated in some way, and even small mistakes can lead to injuries, emergencies, rejected shipments, and fines that get more expensive every year.  

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Houston	Sept. 10–13
Dallas	Sept. 16–19
San Francisco	Oct. 8–11
San Diego	Oct. 15–18
Kansas City	Oct. 22–25
Detroit	Oct. 28–31
Cincinnati	Oct. 28–31
Pittsburgh	Dec. 9–12
Chicago	Dec. 16–19

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Tags: DOT hazmat, Hazmat regulations, hazmat shipping, new rules, PHMSA