68212 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 225 / Tuesday, November 23, 2004 / Notices 

[FR Doc. 04–25888 Filed 11–22–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4909–60–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs 

Administration 

[Docket No. RSPA–04–18975; Notice No. 

04–07] 

Safety Advisory: Unauthorized Marking 

of Compressed Gas Cylinders

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs 

Administration (RSPA), DOT.

ACTION: Safety advisory notice.

SUMMARY: This is to notify the public 

that RSPA is investigating the 

unauthorized marking of DOT 

specification high-pressure carbon 

dioxide fire extinguishers serviced by 

Statewide Fire Equipment, Inc. 

(Statewide), West Buxton, ME. Note that 

non-DOT specification dry chemical fire 

extinguishers are not at issue. RSPA has 

evidence that suggests Statewide 

marked, certified and returned to 

service numerous high-pressure DOT 

specification carbon dioxide fire 

extinguishers when the cylinders had 

not been properly requalified in 

accordance with the Hazardous 

Materials Regulations (HMR). In 

addition, the evidence suggests that 

Statewide used the Retester 

Identification Numbers (RINs) of several 

other licensed retest facilities without 

the permission or knowledge of these 

facilities. 

A hydrostatic retest and visual 

inspection are used to verify the 

structural integrity of compressed gas 

cylinders. If a hydrostatic retest and 

visual inspection are not performed 

within the time period required by the 

HMR, cylinders with compromised 

structural integrity may be returned to 

service when they should be 

condemned. Extensive property damage, 

serious personal injury, or death could 

result from rupture of a cylinder.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Through 

its investigation, RSPA believes that 

Statewide marked, certified and 

returned to service an undetermined 

number of high-pressure carbon dioxide 

fire extinguishers without the authority 

to perform such servicing or without 

ensuring that the cylinders were 

properly requalified by an authorized 

retest facility. The cylinders are owned 

by municipal school systems, fire 

departments, and a yet to be determined 

number of other customers in southern 

Maine, The HMR require that a cylinder 

requalification facility hold a current 

RIN issued by RSPA. Statewide has 

never applied for or received a RIN; 

therefore it is not an authorized cylinder 

requalification facility. Cylinders 

serviced by Statewide were found to be 

marked with the RINs of four different 

authorized requalification facilities. The 

facilities and RIN numbers are: RIN 

A803 issued to AAA Fire Extinguisher 

Co., Inc. (AAA Fire Extinguisher), 328 

Rodman Road, Auburn, ME, (207) 784–

8306; RIN A887 issued to Simplex 

Grinnell LP (Simplex Grinnell), 20 

Thomas Drive, Westbrook, ME, (207) 

842–6440; RIN A813 issued to J. N. 

Johnson Sales & Service, Inc., (J. N. 

Johnson), 4200 West 76th Street, Edina, 

MN, (952) 835–4600; and RIN A857 

issued to Orange County Fire Protection 

(Orange County Fire), 137 West Bristol 

Lane, Orange, CA, (714) 974–9025. 

RSPA has reviewed the retester 

records from these four companies from 

1995 to the present, and has determined 

that none of these companies have 

performed any cylinder requalification 

for Statewide. Although AAA Fire 

Extinguisher of Auburn, ME requalified 

DOT specification high pressure carbon 

dioxide fire extinguishers for Statewide 

until approximately 1995, it has not 

performed any services for Statewide 

since then. In addition to the four RIN 

numbers mentioned above, RSPA 

believes that Statewide may have 

marked cylinders with other 

unauthorized RINs. The RIN and date of 

retest are marked on the shoulders of 

cylinders in the following pattern:

M is the month of retest (e.g., 10), and 

Y is the year of the retest (e.g., 04). 

This safety advisory covers all highpressure DOT specification fire 

extinguishers that have been marked 

and certified as having been requalified 

while in the custody of Statewide. 

These cylinders may pose a safety risk 

to the public and should be considered 

unsafe for use in hazardous materials 

service until requalified by an 

authorized retest facility. Furthermore, 

cylinders described in this safety 

advisory must not be filled with a 

hazardous material unless the cylinders 

are first properly retested by an 

authorized retest facility. A list of 

authorized requalification facilities 

sorted by state or by RIN number may 

be obtained at RSPA’s Web site:

http://hazmat.dot.gov/files/approvals/

hydro/hydro_retesters.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Anthony Lima, Senior Hazardous 

Materials Enforcement Specialist, 

Eastern Region, Office of Hazardous 

Materials Enforcement, Research and 

Special Programs Administration, U.S. 

Department of Transportation, 820 Bear 

Tavern Road, Suite 306, West Trenton, 

NJ 08628. Telephone: (609) 989–2252. 

RSPA requests that any person 

possessing a high pressure DOT 

specification fire extinguisher serviced 

by Statewide since 1995 contact 

inspector Anthony Lima with the 

following information for each cylinder: 

(1) The DOT specification number and 

service pressure, (2) the serial number 

which should be marked in association 

with the specification number and 

service pressure, (3) the RIN number 

and the month and year of the last 

marked requalification, (4) invoices 

from Statewide that have the line item, 

‘‘Hydrostatic Tests’’ completed, and (5) 

the customer name, address, contact 

person and telephone number so the 

inspector may contact you if necessary. 

Please provide the requested 

information via facsimile to: (775) 307–

4971.

Issued in Washington, DC, on November 

17, 2004. 

Robert A. McGuire, 

Associate Administrator for Hazardous 

Materials Safety.

[FR Doc. 04–25889 Filed 11–22–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–60–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board 

Release of Waybill Data 

The Surface Transportation Board has 

received a request from Harkins 

Cunningham on behalf of Canadian 

National Railway Company (WB525–9–

11/9/2004), for permission to use certain 

data from the Board’s Carload Waybill 

Samples. A copy of the request may be 

obtained from the Office of Economics, 

Environmental Analysis, and 

Administration. 

The waybill sample contains 

confidential railroad and shipper data; 

therefore, if any parties object to these 

requests, they should file their 

objections with the Director of the 

Board’s Office of Economics, 

Environmental Analysis, and 

Administration within 14 calendar days 

of the date of this notice. The rules for 

release of waybill data are codified at 49 

CFR 1244.9.


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