Today DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration (PHMSA) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the
Federal Register (91
FR 5996-6071)on “Hazardous Materials: Harmonization With International
Standards”. This is a periodic rulemaking to ensure that shippers see similar
hazardous materials shipping requirements for domestic and international
shipments.
This NPRM proposes to make changes to the following Parts of
the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) [links to discussions in NPRM]:
Part 171, General
Information, Regulations, and Definitions,
Part 172, Hazardous
Materials Table, Special Provisions, Hazardous Materials Communications,
Emergency Response Information, Training Requirements, and Security Plans,
Part
173, Shippers—General Requirements for Shipments and Packagings,
Part
175, Carriage by Aircraft,
Part
176, Carriage by Vessel,
Part
178, Specifications for Packagings, and
Part
180, Continuing Qualification and Maintenance of Packagings.
Additionally, PHMSA is proposing the following actions on
information collection requests (ICRs) based upon proposed changes to the HMR:
Revise 2137-0034,
“Shipping Papers and Emergency Response Information”, and
Revise 2137-0557,
“Approvals for Hazardous Materials”.
Public Comments
PHMSA is soliciting comments about these proposed changes to
the HMR. Comments may be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal (www.Regulations.gov: Docket # PHMSA-2023-0111).
Comments should be received by April 13th, 2026.
For more information on the provisions of this NPRM, including proposed changes
to the Hazardous Materials Table, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/phmsa-publishes-hazmat-harmonization-65c
- subscription required.