New Mailing Standards for the Separation of Hazardous Materials

• Published date: 03 August 2020
• Citation: 85 FR 46575
• Record Number: 2020-15774
• Section: Proposed rules
• Court: Postal Service

Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 149 (Monday, August 3, 2020)

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 149 (Monday, August 3, 2020)]
                [Proposed Rules]
                [Pages 46575-46576]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2020-15774]
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                POSTAL SERVICE
                39 CFR Part 113
                New Mailing Standards for the Separation of Hazardous Materials
                AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM.
                ACTION: Proposed revision; request for comment.
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                SUMMARY: The Postal Service proposes to amend Publication 52,
                Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail (Pub 52), to incorporate
                requirements for mailers to separate all air-eligible hazardous
                material (HAZMAT) from surface only transportation HAZMAT shipments and
                other non-HAZMAT items when tendering mail to the Postal Service in the
                domestic mail. Air eligible products, services or classes include
                Priority Mail Express[supreg], Priority Mail[supreg], First-Class
                Package Service[supreg], Priority Mail Return Service[supreg] or First-
                Class Package Return Service[supreg] and surface only transportation
                are mail using Parcel Select[supreg], Parcel Select
                Lightweight[supreg], USPS Retail Ground[supreg], or USPS Ground Return
                Service [supreg]. Additionally, the Postal Service for consistency will
                incorporate the current standard operating procedures for separation as
                it pertains to acceptance and dispatch personnel.
                DATES: We must receive your comments on or before September 2, 2020.
                [[Page 46576]]
                ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written comments to the Manager, Product
                Classification, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446,
                Washington, DC 20260-5015. If sending comments by email, include the
                name and address of the commenter and send to
                [email protected], with a subject line of ``HAZMAT
                Separation''. Faxed comments will not be accepted. All submitted
                comments and attachments are part of the public record and subject to
                disclosure. Do not enclose any material in your comments that you
                consider to be confidential or inappropriate for public disclosure.
                 You may inspect and photocopy all written comments, by appointment
                only, at USPS[supreg] Headquarters Library, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, 11th
                Floor North, Washington, DC 20260. These records are available for
                review Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. by calling 202-268-2906.
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dale Kennedy (202) 268-6592 or Mary
                Collins (202) 268-5551.
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Postal Service is proposing to amend PUB
                52 with the provisions described below and, once adopted, will
                incorporate the revised PUB 52 by reference into part 113. You may view
                the text of the proposed edits to PUB 52 at: https://pe.usps.com/.
                 Air carriers are required to review HAZMAT shipments and complete
                HAZMAT checklists at the time of acceptance to mitigate risk to
                aviation. The Postal Service tenders mail, including packages
                containing both non-hazardous and hazardous materials to its contracted
                air carriers in sealed containers. Due to the sealed nature of the
                containers, air carriers are often unaware of the specific hazardous
                materials they are accepting and transporting. In order to facilitate
                the review of tendered items, certain air carriers require the Postal
                Service to separate HAZMAT mail from non-HAZMAT mail and tender the
                items at a specific time of day.
                 The Postal Service HAZMAT standard operating procedures state air-
                eligible HAZMAT must be separated with appropriate documentation from
                other non-HAZMAT mail for air transportation. The proposed change will
                require mailers to separate all air-eligible HAZMAT prior to acceptance
                to allow these pieces to flow in a more efficient manner and prevent
                co-mingled packages of surface only transportation HAZMAT and non-
                HAZMAT mail when tendered to air carriers.
                Brittany Johnson,
                Attorney, Federal Compliance.
                [FR Doc. 2020-15774 Filed 7-31-20; 8:45 am]
                BILLING CODE 7710-12-P