On August 14, 2019, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) released a proposed rule to make several miscellaneous amendments to the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) to ensure the safe and secure movement of hazardous materials to industry and consumers by all modes of transportation. This proposed rule is in response to numerous petitions submitted requesting PHMSA address a variety of provisions, including some on packaging, hazardous communication, and incorporation by reference documents. According to PHMSA, the amendments are intended to update, clarify, improve the safety of, or provide relief from various regulatory requirements in the HMR. The proposed amendments include:

• Adopting a phase-out schedule for certain railroad tank cars used to transport poisonous-by-inhalation materials
• Clarifying the cleaning standard for metal drums, including removing residual adhesive from labels
• Allowing the continued use of certain portable and mobile refrigerator systems commonly used in the produce industry
• Allowing for all waste materials to be managed in accordance with the lab pack exception whether they meet the definition of a hazardous waste per the U.S. EPA
• Incorporating an industry standard that can help to enhance the production of oil and gas wells
• Several additional proposed amendments derived from PHMSA’s petition for rulemaking process