Safety Advisory: Unauthorized Marking of Compressed Gas Cylinders, 77437-77438 [E6-21994]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 247 / Tuesday, December 26, 2006 / Notices marked on the sidewall ‘‘TREAD 5 PLIES 2 STEEL + 2 POLYESTER + 1 NYLON’’ whereas the correct marking should be ‘‘TREAD 4 PLIES 2 STEEL + 2 POLYESTER.’’ Continental Tire believes that the noncompliance is inconsequential to motor vehicle safety and that no corrective action is warranted. Continental Tire states, sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES All other sidewall identification markings and safety information are correct. This noncompliant sidewall marking does not affect the safety, performance and durability of the tire; the tires were built as designed. Continental has corrected the problem that caused these errors so that they will not be repeated in future production. Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and arguments on this petition. Comments must refer to the docket and notice number cited at the beginning of this notice and be submitted by any of the following methods. Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, Nassif Building, Room PL–401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, 20590–0001. Hand Delivery: Room PL–401 on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC. It is requested, but not required, that two copies of the comments be provided. The Docket Section is open on weekdays from 10 am to 5 pm except Federal Holidays. Comments may be submitted electronically by logging onto the Docket Management System Web site at https://dms.dot.gov. Click on ‘‘Help’’ to obtain instructions for filing the document electronically. Comments may be faxed to 1–202–493–2251, or may be submitted to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: go to https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. The petition, supporting materials, and all comments received before the close of business on the closing date indicated below will be filed and will be considered. All comments and supporting materials received after the closing date will also be filed and will be considered to the extent possible. When the petition is granted or denied, notice of the decision will be published in the Federal Register pursuant to the authority indicated below. Comment closing date: January 25, 2007. (Authority 49 U.S.C. 30118, 30120: delegations of authority at CFR 1.50 and 501.8) VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:15 Dec 22, 2006 Jkt 211001 Issued on: December 19, 2006. Claude H. Harris, Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance. [FR Doc. E6–22032 Filed 12–22–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–59–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration [Docket No. PHMSA–2006–26596; Notice No. 06–6] Safety Advisory: Unauthorized Marking of Compressed Gas Cylinders Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), DOT. ACTION: Safety advisory notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: This is to notify the public that we (PHMSA) have discovered the unauthorized marking of high-pressure compressed gas cylinders, mainly cylinders containing welding gases, fire extinguishers, and self-contained breathing apparatus, by Consulting and Safety Specialists, Inc. (CSSI), located at 924 Lefort Bypass, Thibodaux, LA 70301. On November 30, 2006, an inspector from PHMSA’s Office of Hazardous Materials Enforcement (OHME) conducted a compliance inspection of CSSI. As a result of that inspection, PHMSA has determined that CSSI did not hold a valid Requalifier Identification Number issued by DOT while requalifying (inspecting, testing, or certifying) high-pressure compressed gas cylinders. In addition, CSSI marked and certified an undetermined number of DOT specification and/or special permit high-pressure compressed gas cylinders as being properly tested in accordance with the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR), when it had not verified its equipment to be accurate as required by the HMR. A hydrostatic requalification and visual inspection, conducted as prescribed in the HMR, are used to verify the structural integrity of a cylinder. If the hydrostatic requalification and visual inspection are not performed in accordance with the HMR, a cylinder with compromised structural integrity may have been returned to service when it should have been condemned. Extensive property damage, serious personal injury, or death may result from rupture of a cylinder. Cylinders that have not been requalified in accordance with the HMR may not be charged or filled with compressed gas or other hazardous PO 00000 Frm 00072 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 77437 material and offered for transportation in commerce. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Billy C. Hines, Jr., Chief, Southwest Region, Office of Hazardous Materials Enforcement, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 8701 South Gessner Road, Suite 1110, Houston, TX 77074. Telephone: (713) 272–2820, Fax: (713) 272–2821. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR), 49 CFR Parts 171–180, prescribe requirements for the periodic requalification of cylinders used in transportation of compressed gases. In order to perform hydrostatic requalification of compressed gas cylinders, a person (including a company) must obtain an approval and Requalification Identification Number (RIN) from PHMSA. See 49 CFR 107.805 and 180.205(b). PHMSA issued RIN C381 to CSSI on October 25, 1989 to requalify high-pressure gas cylinders. CSSI’s RIN expired on October 25, 1994 and it has not applied to renew its approval to requalify cylinders since that date. Therefore, CSSI is no longer authorized to requalify DOT specification and special permit cylinders. Based on our investigation, PHMSA has concluded that, over the past three years, CSSI marked, certified and returned to service an undetermined number of high-pressure gas cylinders as having been properly tested in accordance with the HMR when requalifying was performed on test equipment that was not verified to be accurate as required by the HMR. The cylinders in question are stamped with RIN C381 in the following pattern: C3 M Y 18 M is the month of requalification (e.g., 01, 02, etc.), and Y is the last two digits of the year of the requalification (e.g., 01, 02, 03). All high-pressure gas cylinders that have been marked and certified as having been hydrostatically tested by CSSI since June 2003 may pose a safety risk to the public and should be considered unsafe for use in hazardous materials service until properly requalified by a DOT-authorized requalification facility. Anyone possessing a high-pressure gas cylinder, hydrostatically tested by CSSI between June 2003 and May 2006, and has not had the cylinder tested by a DOT-authorized facility since then, E:\FR\FM\26DEN1.SGM 26DEN1 77438 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 247 / Tuesday, December 26, 2006 / Notices should consider the cylinder unsafe and not fill it with a hazardous material unless the cylinder is first properly requalified by a DOT-authorized requalification facility. Cylinders described in this safety advisory that are filled with an atmospheric gas should be vented or otherwise safely discharged and then taken to a DOT-authorized cylinder requalification facility for proper requalification to determine compliance with the HMR and their suitability for continuing service. Cylinders described in this safety advisory that are filled with a material other than an atmospheric gas should not be vented, but instead should be safely discharged, and then taken to a DOT-authorized cylinder requalification facility for proper test to determine compliance with the HMR and their suitability for continuing service. Mr. Billy C. Hines, Jr., Chief, Southwest Region, can provide a list of authorized requalification facilities in your area, or you may obtain the list at the following Web site: https://hazmat.dot.gov. Under no circumstance should a cylinder described in this safety advisory be filled, refilled or used for its intended purpose until it is re-inspected and requalified by a DOT-authorized requalification facility. PHMSA requests that any person possessing a cylinder described in this safety advisory telephone or provide a facsimile to Mr. Hines with the following information for each cylinder: (1) The cylinder manufacturer’s name, (2) the serial number of the cylinder, (3) the DOT specification or special permit information for the cylinder, and (4) the month and year of the last requalification date marked by CSSI. Issued in Washington, DC, on December 18, 2006. Robert A. McGuire, Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety. [FR Doc. E6–21994 Filed 12–22–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–60–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [STB Docket No. AB–290 (Sub-No. 272X)] sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES Norfolk Southern Railway Company— Abandonment Exemption—in McDowell County, WV Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NSR) has filed a notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1152 Subpart F—Exempt Abandonments to abandon a 2.5-mile line of railroad between milepost CB 0.0 and milepost CB 2.5, in Caretta, in McDowell County, WV. The line VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:15 Dec 22, 2006 Jkt 211001 traverses United States Postal Service Zip Code 24892 and includes the former station of Juno. NSR has certified that: (1) No local traffic has moved over the line for at least 2 years; (2) overhead traffic, if there were any, could be rerouted over other lines; (3) no formal complaint filed by a user of rail service on the line (or by a state or local government entity acting on behalf of such user) regarding cessation of service over the line either is pending with the Surface Transportation Board or with any U.S. District Court or has been decided in favor of complainant within the 2-year period; and (4) the requirements at 49 CFR 1105.7 (environmental reports), 49 CFR 1105.8 (historic reports), 49 CFR 1105.11 (transmittal letter), 49 CFR 1105.12 (newspaper publication), and 49 CFR 1152.50(d)(1) (notice to governmental agencies) have been met. As a condition to this exemption, any employee adversely affected by the abandonment shall be protected under Oregon Short Line R. Co.— Abandonment—Goshen, 360 I.C.C. 91 (1979). To address whether this condition adequately protects affected employees, a petition for partial revocation under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) must be filed. Provided no formal expression of intent to file an offer of financial assistance (OFA) has been received, this exemption will be effective on January 25, 2007, unless stayed pending reconsideration. Petitions to stay that do not involve environmental issues,1 formal expressions of intent to file an OFA under 49 CFR 1152.27(c)(2),2 and trail use/rail banking requests under 49 CFR 1152.29 must be filed by January 5, 2007. Petitions to reopen or requests for public use conditions under 49 CFR 1152.28 must be filed by January 16, 2007, with: Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423–0001. A copy of any petition filed with the Board should be sent to NSR’s representative: James R. Paschall, Senior General Attorney, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Three Commercial Place, Norfolk, VA 23510. The Board will grant a stay if an informed decision on environmental issues (whether raised by a party or by the Board’s Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) in its independent investigation) cannot be made before the exemption’s effective date. See Exemption of Outof-Service Rail Lines, 5 I.C.C.2d 377 (1989). Any request for a stay should be filed as soon as possible so that the Board may take appropriate action before the exemption’s effective date. 2 Each OFA must be accompanied by the filing fee, which currently is set at $1,300. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25). 1 PO 00000 Frm 00073 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 If the verified notice contains false or misleading information, the exemption is void ab initio. NSR has filed environmental and historic reports which address the effects, if any, of the abandonment on the environment and historic resources. SEA will issue an environmental assessment (EA) by December 29, 2006. Interested persons may obtain a copy of the EA by writing to SEA (Room 500, Surface Transportation Board, Washington, DC 20423–0001) or by calling SEA, at (202) 565–1539. [Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1– 800–877–8339.] Comments on environmental and historic preservation matters must be filed within 15 days after the EA becomes available to the public. Environmental, historic preservation, public use, or trail use/rail banking conditions will be imposed, where appropriate, in a subsequent decision. Pursuant to the provisions of 49 CFR 1152.29(e)(2), NSR shall file a notice of consummation with the Board to signify that it has exercised the authority granted and fully abandoned the line. If consummation has not been effected by NSR’s filing of a notice of consummation by December 26, 2007, and there are no legal or regulatory barriers to consummation, the authority to abandon will automatically expire. Board decisions and notices are available on our Web site at https:// www.stb.dot.gov. Decided: December 18, 2006. By the Board, David M. Konschnik, Director, Office of Proceedings. Vernon A. Williams, Secretary. [FR Doc. E6–21946 Filed 12–22–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4915–01–P DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Office of Foreign Assets Control Additional Designation of Individual Pursuant to Executive Order 13224 Office of Foreign Assets Control, Treasury. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (‘‘OFAC’’) is publishing the name of one newly-designated individual whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001, ‘‘Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions E:\FR\FM\26DEN1.SGM 26DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 247 (Tuesday, December 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77437-77438]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-21994]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2006-26596; Notice No. 06-6]


Safety Advisory: Unauthorized Marking of Compressed Gas Cylinders

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), 
DOT.

ACTION: Safety advisory notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This is to notify the public that we (PHMSA) have discovered 
the unauthorized marking of high-pressure compressed gas cylinders, 
mainly cylinders containing welding gases, fire extinguishers, and 
self-contained breathing apparatus, by Consulting and Safety 
Specialists, Inc. (CSSI), located at 924 Lefort Bypass, Thibodaux, LA 
70301.
    On November 30, 2006, an inspector from PHMSA's Office of Hazardous 
Materials Enforcement (OHME) conducted a compliance inspection of CSSI. 
As a result of that inspection, PHMSA has determined that CSSI did not 
hold a valid Requalifier Identification Number issued by DOT while 
requalifying (inspecting, testing, or certifying) high-pressure 
compressed gas cylinders. In addition, CSSI marked and certified an 
undetermined number of DOT specification and/or special permit high-
pressure compressed gas cylinders as being properly tested in 
accordance with the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR), when it had 
not verified its equipment to be accurate as required by the HMR.
    A hydrostatic requalification and visual inspection, conducted as 
prescribed in the HMR, are used to verify the structural integrity of a 
cylinder. If the hydrostatic requalification and visual inspection are 
not performed in accordance with the HMR, a cylinder with compromised 
structural integrity may have been returned to service when it should 
have been condemned. Extensive property damage, serious personal 
injury, or death may result from rupture of a cylinder. Cylinders that 
have not been requalified in accordance with the HMR may not be charged 
or filled with compressed gas or other hazardous material and offered 
for transportation in commerce.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Billy C. Hines, Jr., Chief, Southwest 
Region, Office of Hazardous Materials Enforcement, Pipeline and 
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 8701 South Gessner Road, Suite 1110, Houston, TX 77074. 
Telephone: (713) 272-2820, Fax: (713) 272-2821.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR), 
49 CFR Parts 171-180, prescribe requirements for the periodic 
requalification of cylinders used in transportation of compressed 
gases. In order to perform hydrostatic requalification of compressed 
gas cylinders, a person (including a company) must obtain an approval 
and Requalification Identification Number (RIN) from PHMSA. See 49 CFR 
107.805 and 180.205(b). PHMSA issued RIN C381 to CSSI on October 25, 
1989 to requalify high-pressure gas cylinders. CSSI's RIN expired on 
October 25, 1994 and it has not applied to renew its approval to 
requalify cylinders since that date. Therefore, CSSI is no longer 
authorized to requalify DOT specification and special permit cylinders.
    Based on our investigation, PHMSA has concluded that, over the past 
three years, CSSI marked, certified and returned to service an 
undetermined number of high-pressure gas cylinders as having been 
properly tested in accordance with the HMR when requalifying was 
performed on test equipment that was not verified to be accurate as 
required by the HMR.
    The cylinders in question are stamped with RIN C381 in the 
following pattern:

 C 3
M Y
 18

M is the month of requalification (e.g., 01, 02, etc.), and Y is the 
last two digits of the year of the requalification (e.g., 01, 02, 03).
    All high-pressure gas cylinders that have been marked and certified 
as having been hydrostatically tested by CSSI since June 2003 may pose 
a safety risk to the public and should be considered unsafe for use in 
hazardous materials service until properly requalified by a DOT-
authorized requalification facility.
    Anyone possessing a high-pressure gas cylinder, hydrostatically 
tested by CSSI between June 2003 and May 2006, and has not had the 
cylinder tested by a DOT-authorized facility since then,

[[Page 77438]]

should consider the cylinder unsafe and not fill it with a hazardous 
material unless the cylinder is first properly requalified by a DOT-
authorized requalification facility. Cylinders described in this safety 
advisory that are filled with an atmospheric gas should be vented or 
otherwise safely discharged and then taken to a DOT-authorized cylinder 
requalification facility for proper requalification to determine 
compliance with the HMR and their suitability for continuing service. 
Cylinders described in this safety advisory that are filled with a 
material other than an atmospheric gas should not be vented, but 
instead should be safely discharged, and then taken to a DOT-authorized 
cylinder requalification facility for proper test to determine 
compliance with the HMR and their suitability for continuing service. 
Mr. Billy C. Hines, Jr., Chief, Southwest Region, can provide a list of 
authorized requalification facilities in your area, or you may obtain 
the list at the following Web site: https://hazmat.dot.gov. Under no 
circumstance should a cylinder described in this safety advisory be 
filled, refilled or used for its intended purpose until it is re-
inspected and requalified by a DOT-authorized requalification facility.
    PHMSA requests that any person possessing a cylinder described in 
this safety advisory telephone or provide a facsimile to Mr. Hines with 
the following information for each cylinder: (1) The cylinder 
manufacturer's name, (2) the serial number of the cylinder, (3) the DOT 
specification or special permit information for the cylinder, and (4) 
the month and year of the last requalification date marked by CSSI.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on December 18, 2006.
Robert A. McGuire,
Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety.
 [FR Doc. E6-21994 Filed 12-22-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P
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