Hazardous Materials: Incorporating Rail Special Permits Into the Hazardous Materials Regulations

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is amending the Hazardous Materials Regulations to incorporate provisions contained in certain widely used or longstanding rail special permits that have general applicability and established safety records. Special permits allow a company or an individual to package or ship a hazardous material in a manner that varies from the regulations provided an equivalent level of safety is maintained. Incorporating the special permits discussed in this rulemaking will provide users of the regulations with wider access to the regulatory flexibility offered in these special permits, eliminate the need for numerous renewal requests, reduce paperwork burdens, and facilitate commerce while maintaining an appropriate level of safety. This rulemaking will also respond to two petitions for rulemaking, P-1497, concerning the use of electronic shipping papers, and P-1567, concerning the removal of the Association of American Railroad's AAR-600 portable tank program for previously adopted standards that meet or exceed the AAR-600 requirements.