Welcome back all! Hopefully, everyone had a chance to rest, recharge, and enjoy the just-concluded Thanksgiving holiday period. This edition of the DG Digest is a “two-weeker,” given that there was no publication last Monday, the 19th. As one may therefore guess, any number of things popped up over the last fourteen days, so let’s jump in and cover that fresh news right here:
PHMSA
The agency kept busy with its latest tranche of Special Permit actions. Find the three summary reports at these links:
Transport Canada
The Ministry has announced a sixty-day consultation period for review and comment on four revised standards (CSA 339-342) that deal with selection, qualification, and use of cylinders, spheres, tubes, and multielement tanks for the transport of dangerous goods. To see the revised standards and offer feedback, more here.
U.S. Coast Guard
The Coast Guard has issued a final rule to align liquid chemical categorization tables in its tank vessels and bulk dangerous cargo regulations with the 2020 Edition of the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk. The updated tables provide a list of the liquid hazardous materials, liquefied gases, and compressed gases approved for international and domestic maritime transportation and indicate how each substance is categorized by its pollution potential, safe carriage requirements, chemical flammability, combustibility, and compatibility with other substances. The rule is effective December 21st. See it here.
OSHA
The agency announced a meeting of its National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety & Health (NACOSH) for December 12th. For details and to see how to join, here’s your link.
The agency also published a pair of ICR’s related to maintenance requirements for hoists and slings. These items are critical safety components for many industrial operations. See it here:
U.S. EPA
The agency has issued a proposed new guidance document that reports its efforts to incorporate the concept of environmental justice into its regulatory analysis framework. To see the new guidance proposal and offer feedback, click here.
CPSC
The Commission has issued an ICR related to the testing of various types of lighters. Lighters are regulated as dangerous goods and while this ICR is not directly DG related per se, it may impact potential shippers if the manufacturer is also affected. See the ICR here.
FMCSA
The agency published a final rule that amends its regulations by making technical corrections throughout the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). It makes minor changes to correct inadvertent errors and omissions, remove or update obsolete references, and improve the clarity and consistency of certain regulatory provisions. It also makes a change to its rules of organization, procedures, and practice. This final rule is effective November 17, 2023, except for amendatory instruction 88, which is effective January 16, 2024. See this final rule here.
The agency issued an ICR related to CMV maintenance vehicle requirements and subsequent necessary recordkeeping. See this ICR here.
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