PHMSA has issued a final rule in response to 24 petitions the agency received between February 2015 and March 2018. The final rule provides updates, clarification, and relief from various regulatory requirements without adversely affecting safety. The rule will be effective as of December 28, 2020.
Three of the revisions directly involve the transportation of poisonous inhalation materials in tank cars.
The revisions to 173.31 will prohibit the use of tank cars with shells or heads constructed of non-normalized steel in the transportation of poison-by-inhalation hazard (PIH) materials by rail after December 31, 2020.
The revisions to 173.244(a)(2) and 173.314(c) make the “interim” tank car specifications the “final” specifications for the transportation of PIH materials. At the next qualification for the tank cars, the markings on a DOT 105J600I tank car will now be DOT 105H600W. Chlorine is required to be shipped in a 105H600W specification tank car.
The revisions to 173.31 will now prohibit using certain tank cars that are not built to the requirements published under HM-246 for the transportation of PIH materials after December 31, 2027.
