05/31/2011

Question of the Week: What’s Going to Happen to ORM-D?

Q. I’ve heard the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is phasing out the Consumer Commodity (ORM-D) exceptions from the Hazardous Material Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR parts 171-180). When did this happen? When does it take effect? And does this mean that regular consumer products need shipping papers and the whole rigmarole of marks, labels, and UN specification packaging like regular hazmat...

05/17/2011

Question of the Week: Changes for Combustible Liquids?

Q. We ship a mineral spirits product that has a flashpoint of 120ºF in 55-gallon drums. The product has no other DOT hazards and is only shipped by highway. We have been using the opportunity that the DOT provided at 49 CFR 173.150(f) to reclassify our product as a combustible liquid so that we can take advantage of the exception at 49 CFR 173.120(b)(2). We heard that the DOT is eliminating the combustible liquid designation. What will this mean for our shipments?

04/19/2011

Are You Ready for This Year’s Annual Registration Deadline for Hazmat Shipments?

Each year shippers and carriers of certain quantities and types of hazardous materials must comply with the registration requirements at 49 CFR 107, Subpart G. Registration, including a registration fee, is required for any person that offers or transports...

04/06/2011

ATA Petitions for Reduced Regulations

03/29/2011

Question of the Week: Exceptions for Lithium Batteries

Q. I have been told that I cannot ship lithium batteries as limited quantities, but can receive similar relief when following the special provisions found in the 171.101 Hazardous Materials Table. How do the two types of relief compare? A. It is true that lithium batteries shipped under the DOT Hazardous Material Regulations cannot be shipped under the limited quantity exceptions. However...

03/15/2011

PHMSA Proposes New Regulations for Cargo Tanks

On March 11, 2011 at 76 FR 13313, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration proposed to amend the Hazardous Materials Regulations to mandate...

03/15/2011

PHMSA Finalizes Enhanced Enforcement Authority Procedures

On March 2, 2011 PHMSA published a final rule implementing enhanced enforcement procedures authorized by the Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety and Security Reauthorization Act of 2005. These new procedures...

02/15/2011

Pointing in the Right Direction

Q. Our pick-and-pack operation ships lots of different kinds of hazardous material in many arrangements. Some of our boxes have up arrows, some do not. When do we need to use up arrows? Is there any time we can’t use them? A. Orientation arrows, or “up arrows,” are required whenever you ship hazardous materials in one of these packages...

01/19/2011

PHMSA Publishes HM215-K, International Harmonization Rule

On January 19, 2011 (76 FR 3308), the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a final rule incorporating into the Hazardous Material Regulations changes based on the 16th Revised Edition the UN Model Regulations, Amendment 35-10 to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, and the 2011-2012 edition of the International Civil Aviation Organization Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air.

01/05/2011

IATA Publishes Addendum to the 52nd Edition of the Dangerous Goods Regulations

On December 30, 2010, IATA published an addendum to the 52nd Edition of its Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR), an adaptation of the ICAO Technical Instructions for carriage of dangerous goods by aircraft. These revisions became effective on January 1, 2011.

Highlights of the Addendum include...