Hazardous materials: Hazardous materials transportation— DOT cylinder specifications and maintenance, requalification, and repair requirements; meetings,

[Federal Register: February 24, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 36)]

[Proposed Rules]

[Page 9114-9115]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr24fe99-13]

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs Administration

49 CFR Part 107, 171, 172, 173, 177, 178 and 180

[Docket No. RSPA-98-3684(HM-220)]

RIN 2137-AA92

Hazardous Materials: Requirements for DOT Specification Cylinders; Announcement of Public Working Meetings

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) DOT.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of meetings.

SUMMARY: RSPA wishes to advise the interested public that a series of meetings will be held to discuss proposals contained in a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to revise the cylinder requirements contained in the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HRM). The NPRM was published in the Federal Register of October 30, 1998, under RSPA Docket No. 3684 (HM-220).

DATES: The dates for these meetings are April 13, 14 and 15. The meetings will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. but may end earlier.

ADDRESSES: All meetings will be held in Room 3200-3204 at the U.S. Department of Transportation's Nassif Building, 400 7th Street SW, Washington, DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheryl Freeman, telephone number (202) 366-4545, Office of Hazardous Materials Technology, or Hattie Mitchell, telephone number (202) 366-8553, Office of Hazardous Materials Standards, Research and Special Programs Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC 20590-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 30, 1998 (63 FR 58460), RSPA published an NPRM in the Federal Register under RSPA Docket No. 3684 (HM-220). RSPA proposes in the NPRM to amend the HMR (49 CFR Parts 171- 180) to establish four new DOT cylinder specifications and to revise the requirements for maintenance, requalification, and repair of all DOT specification cylinders. In addition, RSPA proposes to revise the

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requirements for approval of cylinder requalifiers, independent inspection agencies, and nondomestic chemical analysis and tests; to revise the cylinder requalification, maintenance and repair requirements in Part 173 and to transfer these requirements to new subpart C of Part 180; and to revise the commodity authorization requirements in Part 173.

RSPA held public meetings to discuss the proposals on December 8, 1998 (63 FR 58460, October 30, 1998), and January 28, 1999 (63 FR 72224, December 31, 1998), in Washington, DC. Because of the broad scope and technical complexity of the proposals, RSPA is holding three additional public meetings to discuss certain proposals contained in the NPRM. These meeting will not be recorded.

The topics for discussion at the meetings are as follows:

1. April 13, 1999:

   1 Applicability and design criteria for all metric-marked DOT specification cylinders (Sec. 178.69).

   2. Welded cylinder specification (Sec. 178.81; DOT 4M).

2. April 14, 1999:

   1. Seamless cylinder specifications (Secs. 178.70-178.73; DOT 3M, 3FM, 3ALM).

3. April 15, 1999:

   1. Requalification (Part 180, Subpart C).

   2. Pressure relief devices.

   3. Commodity authorizations and usage requirements (Secs. 173.301- 173.304(b)).

   The meetings' agenda will be available on the Internet at the website: http://hazmat.dot.gov/rulemake.htm#nprm at least two weeks prior to the meetings.

   Issued in Washington DC on February 18, 1999. Alan I. Roberts, Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety.

   [FR Doc. 99-4515Filed2-23-99; 8:45 am]

   BILLING CODE 4910-60-P