G/TBT/N/USA/1268  
 
31 January 2017  
(17-0615) 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 Hazar dous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), 
Department of Transportation (DOT) [1288]  
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 [ X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [  ], 5.7.1 [  ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Hazardous materials; 
unrefined petroleum products ; Protection against dangerous goods (ICS 13.300), Petroleum 
products in general (ICS 75.080)  
5. Title, number of pages  and language(s)  of the notified document:  Hazardous 
Materials: Volatility of Unrefined Petroleum Products and Class 3 Materials (10 pages, in 
English).  
6. Description of content:  PHMSA is consideri ng revising the Hazardous Materials 
Regulations (HMR) to establish vapor pressure limits for unrefined petroleum -based 
products and potentially all Class 3 flammable liquid hazardous materials that would apply 
during the transportation of the products or m aterials by any mode. PHMSA is currently 
assessing the merits of a petition for rulemaking submitted by the Attorney General of the 
State of New York regarding vapor pressure standards for the transportation of crude oil. 
The petition requests that PHMSA i mplement a Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) limit less than 
9.0 pounds per square inch (psi) for crude oil transported by rail. PHMSA will use the 
comments in response to this ANPRM to help assess and respond to the petition and to 
evaluate any other potential re gulatory actions related to sampling and testing of crude oil 
and other Class 3 hazardous materials. PHMSA will also evaluate the potential safety 
benefits and costs of utilizing vapor pressure thresholds within the hazardous materials 
classification proce ss for unrefined petroleum -based products and Class 3 hazardous 
materials.  
7. Objective and rationale , including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of the environment  
8. Relevant documents:  82 Federal Register (FR) 5499, 18 Januar y 2017; Title 49 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 171, 172, 1 73, 174, 177, 178, 179 and 180. Will appear in 
the Federal Register when adopted . G/TBT/N/USA/1268  
 
- 2 - 
 
  9. Proposed date of adoption: To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force: To be determined   
10. Final date for comments:  20 March 2017  
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/2017/TBT/USA/17_0587_00_e.pdf