As part of our nation basks in Spring warmth and other areas get snowed under, the DG news flow this week was a little more quiet than has been the recent norm. Here are the most relevant briefs: Special Lithium Battery Regulatory Update Webinar: Shipping Lithium Batteries by air remains a huge topic of interest…
Domestic shippers take note: PHMSA to adopt ICAO lithium battery rules
When the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Air Transport Association (IATA) imposed new lithium battery air shipping restrictions April 1, 2016, many shippers whose products never cross US borders believed that the new rules didn’t apply to them. Because those restrictions have not been adopted into the U.S. Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR),…
USDOT/PHMSA formalizes requirements for “Reverse Logistics”
In today’s edition of the US Federal Register, the United States Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a final rule under Docket # PHMSA-2011-0143 (HM-253), RIN 2137-AE82 under which the agency sets forth specific rules to regulate the transport of materials under the so-called “Reverse Logistics” principle. This function…
DG Digest: MH370 Anniversary Fuels Speculation, Guide to Paraquat Hazard Mitigation
Another busy week in the world of Dangerous Goods, EH&S, and associated regulations: FMCSA: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) extended the comment period for its proposed rulemaking revising the way in it assigns “Carrier Safety Fitness Determinations.” These determinations can be important to carriers for reasons like frequency of inspections, insurance costs, and…
10 strangest hazmat items in the 2016 Emergency Response Guidebook
Everyone in the Dangerous Goods business has at least one copy of the Emergency Response Guidebook nearby at all times, right? (If not, stop reading and click here right now!) But how many of us actually sit down and read it? Well, we did, and we discovered some hazmat items in the essential ERG that…
DG Digest: More Lithium Battery News, PHMSA Special Permits and FRA Fines Hit Record Heights
Several items of note occurred in the DG world last week, with new and revised regulations affecting everything from Limited Quantities to Lithium Batteries and a vital Federal Agency noting that its enforcement penalties were way up: ICAO/IATA Lithium Battery Rules Changes Both the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association…
Federal Register publishes HM-233F revisions to the HMR
The United States Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) yesterday published the newest rulemaking under its HM-233 Docket family. This incorporates various aspects of previously issued Special Permits (SP’s) into the body of the regulations. Specials Permits are administrative actions that grant specific users permission to do something outside of…
PHMSA/FAA Meet to Discuss Concerns on Lithium Battery Transport
The US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) held a joint public meeting in Washington, DC on September 18th. The principal topic of discussion was the situation regarding the transport of lithium batteries via aircraft. This past summer, many individual airlines took action to limit the…
New DOT/PHMSA Interpretation Brings Some Clarity to the Lithium Ion Watts Issue
In a formal Letter of Interpretation dated August 19th, 2015 to Mr. Mike Revis USDOT/PHMSA stated categorically that a Lithium Ion Battery being shipped under the exceptions granted in 49 CFR 173.185(c) may have cells which feature watt hour ratings greater than 20 watt hours as long as the battery itself remains less than one…
Infographic | The Essential ERG (Emergency Response Guidebook)
The Emergency Response Guide—better known as the ERG— is the first resource for identifying and responding to chemical hazards in a transportation emergency. You’ll find it anywhere people have a stake in the safe handling, transport and storage of Dangerous Goods. New additions, revisions and updates make the 2016 ERG the most essential ever. Here…