Ryan Posten: [0:00] Thank you. Thank you. My name is Ryan Posten and thank you for this opportunity. This will be a brief discussion on the more than century old federal regulations on the safe transportation of hazardous materials. [0:14] The hazardous materials regulations establish a minimum safety standard for transport of hazardous materials to, from or within the United States. The standards for which we promulgate cover the classification, packaging, handling and the overall carriage of hazardous material safely and, in doing so, we incorporate 174 publications incorporated by reference. 13 of those are free.

[0:50] The SDOs, as listed on the slides, are a wide variety of different associations and technical standard organizations. One of them in particular here that Lisa has helped me as a prop, this is the IMDG code.

[1:08] This is the International Maritime Dangerous Goods code. It is a nonprofit, international forum that prescribes regulations for the international transportation by vessel of dangerous goods. We incorporate that by reference.

[1:23] Another example is the CGA, Compressed Gas Association standards for how to inspect aluminum cylinders in an adequate manner. We incorporate that by reference for any of those that perform requalification of high-pressure DOT specification containers.

[1:43] Some of the other facts also include, if I haven't already mentioned it, 13 of those 174 incorporated by reference standards are free. 57 have secondary references. There are over 14,000 pages of reference material and the cost of the 174 range from $15.00 to $700.00.

[2:11] I'd like to note that about 80 percent of what we incorporate by reference represent packaging standards. The Hazardous Materials Regulations effectively establish a strong set of packaging standards to ensure proper containment of a material in transportation, much like a pipeline as long as it stays in the pipe.

[2:31] We prescribe requirements for drums, cylinders, cargo tanks, tank cars and trains. About 15 percent of those are also how to determine flammability, classification standards. What is a hazardous material? Is it water? What level of corrosivity does it meet standards for corrosivity?

[2:55] About two percent don't fall into any particular category. They fall in a general category of just transport safety. Thank you.