[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