[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 24, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 9114-9115]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-4515]


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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.

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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

[[Page 9115]]

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:

A. 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).

B. April 14, 1999:

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

C. 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. 99-4515 Filed 2-23-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P