2016-12034: Hazardous Materials: Miscellaneous Amendments (RRR)

Summary

In this final rule, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is amending the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) to make miscellaneous amendments in order to update and clarify certain regulatory requirements. These amendments are designed to promote safer transportation practices, address petitions for rulemaking, respond to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Safety Recommendations, facilitate international commerce, make editorial corrections, and simplify the regulations. The amendments in this rulemaking include, but are not limited to, removing the packing group (PG) II designation for certain organic peroxides, self-reactive substances, and explosives; incorporating requirements for trailers of manifolded acetylene cylinders; providing requirements to allow for shipments of damaged wet electric batteries; and revising the requirements for the packaging of nitric acid, testing of pressure relief devices on cargo tanks, and shipments of black or smokeless powder for small arms.

The agency’s own summary, as published.

What this changes

Amends 10 parts of the Code of Federal Regulations — the standing rules this notice rewrites.

• 49 CFR 107 Hazardous Materials Program Procedures
• 49 CFR 171 General Information, Regulations, and Definitions
• 49 CFR 172 Hazardous Materials Table, Special Provisions, Hazardous Materials Communications, Emergency Response Information, Training Requirements, and Security Plans
• 49 CFR 173 Shippers—General Requirements for Shipments and Packagings
• 49 CFR 175 Carriage by Aircraft
• 49 CFR 176 Carriage by Vessel
• 49 CFR 177 Carriage by Public Highway
• 49 CFR 178 Specifications for Packagings
• 49 CFR 179 Specifications for Tank Cars
• 49 CFR 180 Continuing Qualification and Maintenance of Packagings