Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Notice of Delays in Processing of Special Permits Applications
Document Number: E9-12621
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-06-01
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In accordance with the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 5117(c), PHMSA is publishing the following list of special permit applications that have been in process for 180 days or more. The reason(s) for delay and the expected completion date for action on each application is provided in association with each identified application.
Pipeline Safety: Potential Low and Variable Yield and Tensile Strength and Chemical Composition Properties in High Strength Line Pipe
Document Number: E9-11815
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-05-21
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
PHMSA is issuing an advisory bulletin to owners and operators of natural gas pipeline and hazardous liquid pipeline systems. This bulletin advises pipeline system owners and operators of the potential for high grade line pipe installed on projects to exhibit inconsistent chemical and mechanical properties. Yield strength and tensile strength properties that do not meet the line pipe specification minimums have been reported. This advisory bulletin pertains to microalloyed high strength line pipe grades, generally Grade X-70 and above. PHMSA recently reviewed metallurgical testing results from several recent projects indicating pipe joints produced from plate or coil from the same heat may exhibit variable chemical and mechanical properties by as much as 15% lower than the strength values specified by the pipe manufacturer.
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Notice of Applications for Modification of Special Permit
Document Number: E9-11310
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-05-15
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportations Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR part 107, subpart B), notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the applications described herein. This notice is abbreviated to expedite docketing and public notice. Because the sections affected, modes of transportation, and the nature of application have been shown in earlier Federal Register publications, they are not repeated here. Requests for modification of special permits (e.g., to provide for additional hazardous materials, packaging design changes, additional mode of transportation, etc.) are described in footnotes to the application number. Application numbers with the suffix ``M'' denote a modification request. These applications have been separated from the new application for special permits to facilitate processing.
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Notice of Application for Special Permits
Document Number: E9-11309
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-05-15
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR part 107, Subpart B), notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein. Each mode of transportation for which a particular special permit is requested is indicated by a number in the ``Nature of Application'' portion of the table below as follows: 1Motor vehicle, 2Rail freight, 3Cargo vessel, 4Cargo aircraft only, 5Passenger-carrying aircraft.
Information Collection Activities Under OMB Review; 2009 Renewals
Document Number: E9-10684
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-05-08
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Requests (ICR) abstracted below will be forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comments. The ICRs describe the nature of the information collections and their expected burden. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on these collections of information was published in the Federal Register on February 5, 2009 [74 FR 6215] under Docket No. PHMS-2009-0019 (Notice No. 09-1).
Pipeline Safety: Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Request for Extension of Currently Approved Information Collections
Document Number: E9-9775
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-04-29
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice announces that the Information Collection Requests (ICRs) abstracted below will be forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comments. The ICRs describe the nature of the information collections and their expected burden. A Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on ICRs was published in the Federal Register on February 20, 2009 (73 FR 7955) under Docket No. PHMSA-2009-0057. Two comments were received. The purpose of this notice is to allow the public an additional 30 days to submit comments on the information collections described below and respond to comments submitted to the 60-day notice.
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Notice of Delays in Processing of Special Permits Applications
Document Number: E9-9477
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-04-29
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In accordance with the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 5117(c), PHMSA is publishing the following list of special permit applications that have been in process for 180 days or more. The reason(s) for delay and the expected completion date for action on each application is provided in association with each identified application.
Pipeline Safety: Requests for Special Permits
Document Number: E9-9610
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-04-28
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
PHMSA is publishing this notice of several special permit requests we have received from pipeline operators, seeking relief from compliance with certain requirements in the Federal pipeline safety regulations. This notice seeks public comments on these requests, including comments on any safety or environmental impacts. At the conclusion of the 30-day comment period, PHMSA will evaluate the requests and determine whether to grant or deny a special permit and the terms and conditions of any grant.
Pipeline Safety: Incorporation by Reference Update: American Petroleum Institute (API) Standards 5L and 1104
Document Number: E9-8376
Type: Rule
Date: 2009-04-14
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
This direct final rule incorporates by reference the most recent editions of API Specification 5L ``Specification for Line Pipe'' and API 1104 ``Welding of Pipelines and Related Facilities.'' The purpose of this update is to enable pipeline operators to utilize current technology, materials, and practices to help maintain a high level of safety relative to their pipeline operations. PHMSA is not eliminating the use of the current referenced standards but simply allowing the additional use of these new standards. PHMSA may in the future propose to eliminate the incorporation of the existing referenced standards.
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Notice of Applications for Modification of Special Permit
Document Number: E9-8222
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-04-13
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR Part 107, Subpart B), notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the applications described herein. This notice is abbreviated to expedite docketing and public notice. Because the sections affected, modes of transportation, and the nature of application have been shown in earlier Federal Register publications, they are not repeated here. Requests for modification of special permits (e.g., to provide for additional hazardous materials, packaging design changes, additional mode of transportation, etc.) are described in footnotes to the application number. Application numbers with the suffix ``M'' denote a modification request. These applications have been separated from the new application for special permits to facilitate processing.
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Notice of Application for Special Permits
Document Number: E9-8221
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-04-13
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR Part 107, Subpart B), notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein. Each mode of transportation for which a particular special permit is requested is indicated by a number in the ``Nature of Application'' portion of the table below as follows: 1Motor vehicle, 2Rail freight, 3Cargo vessel, 4Cargo aircraft only, 5Passenger-carrying aircraft.
Hazardous Materials: Miscellaneous Cargo Tank Motor Vehicle and Cylinder Issues; Petitions for Rulemaking
Document Number: E9-8021
Type: Rule
Date: 2009-04-09
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
PHMSA is amending the Hazardous Materials Regulations to revise certain requirements applicable to the manufacture, maintenance, and use of DOT and MC specification cargo tank motor vehicles, DOT specification cylinders and UN pressure receptacles. The revisions are based on petitions for rulemaking submitted by the regulated community and are intended to enhance the safe transportation of hazardous materials in commerce, clarify regulatory requirements, and reduce operating burdens on cargo tank and cylinder manufacturers, requalifiers, carriers, shippers, and users. The most significant
International Standards on the Transport of Dangerous Goods; Public Meeting
Document Number: E9-7042
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-03-31
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
This notice is to advise interested persons that PHMSA will conduct a public meeting in preparation for the 35th session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UNSCOE TDG) to be held June 22-26, 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland. During this meeting, PHMSA is also soliciting comments relative to potential new work items which may be considered for inclusion in its international agenda, and comments relative to a potential future rulemaking action regarding the use and applicability of international standards.
Pipeline Safety: Workshop on New Pipeline Construction
Document Number: E9-6690
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-03-26
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
Recent new pipeline construction inspections by PHMSA have identified issues regarding procedures and inspection of pipeline coating, welding, and general pipeline construction practices. Many of the issues required immediate response from operators to avoid impacting long term pipeline integrity before the pipeline was put into service. PHMSA is leading a workshop cosponsored by the National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives (NAPSR), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and the Canadian National Energy Board (NEB), on new pipeline construction in established rights-of-way to allow stakeholders of the pipeline safety community to learn about and discuss these construction issues and current practices used to resolve issues and ensure pipeline safety.
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Notice of Applications for Modification of Special Permit
Document Number: E9-5508
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-03-16
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR Part 107, Subpart B), notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein. This notice is abbreviated to expedite docketing and public notice. Because the sections affected, modes of transportation, and the nature of application have been shown in earlier Federal Register publications, they are not repeated here. Request of modifications of special permits (e.g. to provide for additional hazardous materials, packaging design changes, additional mode of transportation, etc.) are described in footnotes to the application number. Application numbers with the suffix ``M'' demote a modification request. There applications have been separated from the new application for special permits to facilitate processing.
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety: Notice of Application for Special Permits
Document Number: E9-5506
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-03-16
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR Part 107, Subpart B), notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein. Each mode of transportation for which a particular special permit is requested is indicated by a number in the ``Nature of Application'' portion of the table below as follows: 1Motor vehicle, 2Rail freight, 3Cargo vessel, 4Cargo aircraft only, 5Passenger-carrying aircraft.
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Actions on Special Permit Applications
Document Number: E9-5005
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-03-13
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR Part 107, Subpart B), notice is hereby given of the actions on special permits applications in (June to March 2009). The mode of transportation involved are identified by a number in the ``Nature of Application'' portion of the table below as follows: 1Motor vehicle, 2Rail freight, 3Cargo vessel, 4Cargo aircraft only, 5 Passenger-carrying aircraft. Application numbers prefixed by the letters EE represent applications for Emergency Special Permits. It should be noted that some of the sections cited were those in effect at the time certain special permits were issued.
Pipeline Safety: Request for Special Permit
Document Number: E9-5011
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-03-09
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
Pursuant to the Federal pipeline safety laws, PHMSA is publishing this notice of a special permit request we have received from a hazardous liquid pipeline operator, seeking relief from compliance with certain tank inspection requirements in the Federal pipeline safety regulations. This notice seeks public comments on this request, including comments on any environmental impacts. At the conclusion of the 30-day comment period, PHMSA will evaluate the request and determine whether to grant or deny a special permit.
Pipeline Safety: Random Drug Testing Rate
Document Number: E9-4485
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-03-03
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
PHMSA has determined that the minimum random drug testing rate for covered employees will remain at 25 percent during calendar year 2009.
Information Collection Activities
Document Number: E9-3667
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-02-20
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, PHMSA invites comments on certain information collections pertaining to pipeline safety for which PHMSA intends to request renewal from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Pipeline Safety: Workshop on Internal Corrosion in Hazardous Liquid Pipelines
Document Number: E9-3487
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-02-19
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
The Pipeline, Inspection, Protection, Enforcement, and Safety Act of 2006 (PIPES), Public Law 109-468, Section 22, requires PHMSA to review the internal corrosion control regulations to determine if the regulations are currently adequate to ensure that the pipeline facilities subject to the regulations will not present a hazard to public safety or the environment. As a follow-up to this review and our report to Congress, PHMSA is sponsoring a Workshop on Internal Corrosion in Hazardous Liquid Pipelines to allow stakeholders of the pipeline safety community to learn about and discuss PHMSA regulations, industry standards and practices, current evaluation practices and methods to assure pipeline safety.
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Notice of Delays in Processing of Special Permits Applications
Document Number: E9-3374
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-02-18
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In accordance with the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 5117(c), PHMSA is publishing the following list of special permit applications that have been in process for 180 days or more. The reason(s) for delay and the expected completion date for action on each application is provided in association with each identified application.
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Notice of Applications for Modification of Special Permit
Document Number: E9-3242
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-02-18
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR Part 107, Subpart B), notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein. This notice is abbreviated to expedite docketing and public notice. Because the sections affected, modes of transportation, and the nature of application have been shown in earlier Federal Register publications, they are not repeated here. Request of modifications of special permits (e.g. to provide for additional hazardous materials, packaging design changes, additional mode of transportation, etc.) are described in footnotes to the application number. Application numbers with the suffix ``M'' demote a modification request. There applications have been separated from the new application for special permits to facilitate processing.
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Application for Special Permits
Document Number: E9-3093
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-02-17
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of special permits from the Department of Transportations Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR Part 107, Subpart B), notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein. Each mode of transportation for which a particular special permit is requested is indicated by a number in the ``Nature of Application portion of the table below as follows: 1Motor vehicle, 2Rail freight, 3Cargo vessel, 4Cargo aircraft only, 5Passenger-carrying aircraft.
Information Collection Activities
Document Number: E9-2474
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-02-05
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, PHMSA invites comments on certain information collections pertaining to hazardous materials transportation for which PHMSA intends to request renewal from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Common Law Tort Claims Concerning Design and Marking of DOT Specification 39 Compressed Gas Cylinders
Document Number: E9-1993
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-01-30
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
Interested parties are invited to comment on an application by AMTROL, Inc., for an administrative determination as to whether Federal hazardous material transportation law preempts State common law tort claims alleging that the manufacturer of DOT specification 39 compressed gas cylinders should have designed the cylinders to resist rusting over time and/or provided additional warnings of the potential rusting over time, beyond requirements in the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) for the manufacture, marking, and labeling of these cylinders.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Requirements on Gasoline Transport Vehicles
Document Number: E9-1431
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-01-23
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
Federal hazardous material transportation law does not preempt that part of 6 NYCRR 230.4(a)(3) requiring that a gasoline transport vehicle must be marked, near the U.S. DOT specification plate, with the date on which the tank was last tested for vapor tightness. Federal hazardous material transportation law preempts (1) the provisions in 6 NYCRR 230.4(a)(3) which require that the marking be a minimum two inches and contain ``NYS DEC''; (2) the requirement in 6 NYCRR 230.6(b) for maintaining a copy of the most recent pressure-vacuum test results with the gasoline transport vehicle; and (3) the requirement in 6 NYCRR 230.6(c) to retain pressure-vacuum test and repair results for two years, because these requirements are not substantively the same as requirements in the HMR on the marking, maintaining, repairing, or testing of a package or container that is represented, marked, certified, or sold as qualified for transporting hazardous material.
Pipeline Safety: Requests for Special Permit
Document Number: E9-1425
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-01-23
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
The Federal pipeline safety laws allow a pipeline operator to request PHMSA to waive compliance with any part of the Federal pipeline safety regulations by granting a special permit to the operator. PHMSA is publishing this notice to provide a list of special permit requests we have received from pipeline operators seeking relief from compliance with certain pipeline safety regulations. This notice seeks public comment on these requests, including comments on any environmental impacts. At the conclusion of the 30 days comment period, PHMSA will evaluate each request individually to determine whether to grant or deny a special permit.
Massachusetts' Definitions of Hazardous Materials
Document Number: E9-1419
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-01-23
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
The Federal Hazmat Law does not preempt the definitions of ``hazardous material'' in M.G.L. chs. 21 E and 21 K. As applied and enforced, the challenged provisions of Massachusetts' laws are not an ``obstacle'' to accomplishing and carrying out the Federal Hazmat Law, the HMR, or a hazardous materials transportation security regulation or directive issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security. Because a regulated entity may comply with the State and Federal requirements at the same time the Massachusetts' laws are not preempted under the ``dual compliance'' test. These definitions and State requirements also do not concern any of the five subject areas in which State Authority is expressly preempted by the Federal Hazmat Law, and State enforcement of these laws does not otherwise frustrate Congressional intent.
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Notice of Application for Special Permits
Document Number: E9-1176
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-01-23
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR Part 107, Subpart B), notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein. Each mode of transportation for which a particular special permit is requested is indicated by a number in the 'Nature of Application'' portion of the table below as follows: 1Motor vehicle, 2Rail freight, 3Cargo vessel, 4Cargo aircraft only, 5Passenger-carrying aircraft.
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Notice of Applications for Modification of Special Permit
Document Number: E9-1175
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-01-23
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations (49 CFR Part 107, Subpart B), notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein. This notice is abbreviated to expedite docketing and public notice. Because the sections affected, modes of transportation, and the nature of application have been shown in earlier Federal Register publications, they are not repeated here. Request of modifications of special permits (e.g. to provide for additional hazardous materials, packaging design changes, additional mode of transportation, etc.) are described in footnotes to the application number. Application numbers with the suffix ``M'' demote a modification request. There applications have been separated from the new application for special permits to facilitate processing.
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Notice of Delays in Processing of Special Permits Applications
Document Number: E9-1010
Type: Notice
Date: 2009-01-22
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
In accordance with the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 5117(c), PHMSA is publishing the following list of special permit applications that have been in process for 180 days or more. The reason(s) for delay and the expected completion date for action on each application is provided in association with each identified application.
Pipeline Safety: Administrative Procedures, Address Updates, and Technical Amendments
Document Number: E9-628
Type: Rule
Date: 2009-01-16
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
This final rule adopts, with minor modifications, an interim final rule issued by PHMSA on March 28, 2008, conforming PHMSA's administrative procedures with the Pipeline Inspection, Protection, Enforcement, and Safety Act of 2006 by establishing the procedures PHMSA will follow for issuing safety orders and handling requests for special permits, including emergency special permits. The rule also notifies operators about electronic docket information availability; updates addresses for filing reports, telephone numbers, and routing symbols; and clarifies the time period for processing requests for written interpretations of the regulations. This final rule makes minor amendments and technical corrections to the regulatory text in response to written public comments received after issuance of the interim final rule.
Hazardous Materials: Revision to Requirements for the Transportation of Batteries and Battery-Powered Devices; and Harmonization With the United Nations Recommendations, International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, and International Civil Aviation Organization's Technical Instructions
Document Number: E8-31383
Type: Rule
Date: 2009-01-14
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
This final rule revises the Hazardous Materials Regulations to maintain alignment with international standards by incorporating various amendments, including changes to proper shipping names, hazard classes, packing groups, special provisions, packaging authorizations, air transport quantity limitations, and vessel stowage requirements. These revisions are necessary to harmonize the Hazardous Materials Regulations with recent changes to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, the International Civil Aviation Organization's Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air, Transport Canada's Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations, and the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. These revisions also include amendments and clarifications addressing the safe transportation of batteries and battery-powered devices. Consistent with recent changes to the International Civil Aviation Organization's Technical Instructions, PHMSA is clarifying the prohibition against transporting electrical devices, including batteries and battery-powered devices that are likely to create sparks or generate a dangerous amount of heat. PHMSA is also modifying and enhancing requirements for the packaging and handling of batteries and battery-powered devices, particularly in air commerce, to emphasize the safety precautions that are necessary to prevent incidents during transportation. PHMSA developed these revisions in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration to enhance the safe transportation of batteries and battery-powered devices.
Hazardous Materials: Improving the Safety of Railroad Tank Car Transportation of Hazardous Materials
Document Number: E8-31056
Type: Rule
Date: 2009-01-13
Agency: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Department of Transportation
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), is amending the Hazardous Materials Regulations to prescribe enhanced safety measures for rail transportation of poison inhalation hazard (PIH) materials, including interim design standards for railroad tank cars. Pending validation and implementation of the crashworthiness performance standard proposed in the NPRM issued under this docket on April 1, 2008, the rule mandates commodity-specific improvements in safety features and design standards for newly manufactured DOT specification tank cars. The rule also adopts a 50 mph speed restriction for loaded rail tank cars transporting PIH materials; an improved top fittings performance standard; an allowance to increase the gross weight of tank cars that meet the enhanced standards; and adoption of the industry standard for normalized steel in certain tank cars. The interim standards established in this rule will enhance the accident survivability of PIH tank cars when compared to existing regulations while providing tank car owners continued flexibility in car selection. Adoption of this interim standard will ensure the ongoing availability of tank cars while PHMSA and FRA complete research and testing on advanced tank car design to validate and implement a more stringent performance standard.
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