G/TBT/N/USA/1196  
 
26 September 2016  
(16-5107) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member : UNITED STATES OF AME RICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved  (Article 3.2 and 7.2) : 
2. Agency responsible : Pipeline and Hazardo us Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), 
Department of Transportation (DOT) [1215]  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification  shall be indicated if different from above : 
Please submit comments to : USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point  
Email : usatbtep@nist.gov   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  ], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [  ], 5.7.1 [  ], other : X 
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable) : Rail tank cars . 
Transport (ICS : 03.220), Protection against dangerous goods (ICS : 13.300), Railway 
engineering in  general (ICS : 45.020)  
5. Title, number of pages  and language(s)  of the notified document : Hazardous 
Materials : FAST Act Requirements for Flammable Liquids and Rail Tank Cars (23 pages, in 
English)   
6. Description of content : The Pipeline and Hazardous M aterials Safety Administration is 
issuing this final rule to codify in the Hazardous Materials Regulations certain mandates 
and minimum requirements of the FAST Act. Specifically, the FAST Act mandates a revised 
phase -out schedule for all DOT Specification  111 tank cars used to transport unrefined 
petroleum products (e.g., petroleum crude oil), ethanol, and other Class 3 flammable 
liquids. The FAST Act also requires that each tank car built to meet the DOT 
Specification  117 and each non -jacketed tank car re trofitted to meet the DOT 
Specification  117R be equipped with a thermal protection blanket that is at least \1/2\-inch 
thick and meets existing thermal protection standards. Further, the FAST Act mandates 
minimum top fittings protection requirements for ta nk cars retrofitted to meet the DOT 
Specification  117R.  
7. Objective and rationale , including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : Protection of human health or safety ; Protection of the environment  
8. Relevant documents : 
 81 Federal Register ( FR) 53935, 15 August 2016; Title 49 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) Parts 173 and 179.  
 Hazardous Materials : Enhanced Tank Car Standards and Operational Controls for 
High-Hazard Flammable Trains, Notice of prop osed rulemaking, 
1 August  2014: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2014-08-01/html/2014 -
17764.htm  
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2014-08-01/pdf/2014 -17764.pdf  G/TBT/N/USA/1196  
 
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   Hazardous  Materials : Enhanced Tank Car Standards and Operational Controls for 
High-Hazard Flammable Trains, Final Rule, 8 May 2015: 
https://www.gpo.gov /fdsys/pkg/FR -2015-05-08/html/2015 -10670.htm  
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR -2015-05-08/pdf/2015 -10670.pdf  
9. Proposed date of adoption : 15 August 2016  
Proposed date of entry  into force : 15 August 2016   
10. Final date for comments : None 
11. Texts available from : National enquiry point  [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
number s and e mail and website address es, if available , of other body : 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2016/TBT/USA/16_4008_00_e.pdf