An Act to revise title 18, chapter 39, of the United States Code, entitled ""Explosives and Combustibles.""
PL 86-710 (S.1806), enacted 09/06/1960

808 
PUBLIC LAW 86-710-SEPT. 6, 1960 
[74 STAT. 
Public Law 86-710 
September 6, 1960 
^ ^ 
A C T 
[s* 1806] 
To revise title 18, chapter 39, of the United States Code, entitled "Explosives 
and Combustibles". 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That title 18 of the 
United States Code, sections 831-835, inclusive, entitled "Explosives 
and Combustibles", as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows: 
"CHAPTER 39—EXPLOSIVES AND OTHER 
DANGEROUS ARTICLES 
"Sec. 
831. Definitions. 
832. Transportation of explosives, radioactive materials, etiologic agents, and 
other dangerous articles. 
833. Marking packages containing explosives and other dangerous articles. 
834. Regulation by Interstate Commerce Commission. 
835. Administration. 
"§831. Definitions 
"As used in this chapter— 
"Unless otherwise indicated, 'carrier' means any person engaged in 
the transportation of passengers or property, by land, other than 
pipelines, as a common, contract, or private carrier, or freight ior-
9o1^ loof i'23^i!^' '^^^^l^^ ^s those terms are used in the Interstate Commerce Act, as 
amended, and officers, agents, and employees of such carriers. 
" 'Person' means any individual, firm, copartnership, corporation, 
company, association, or joint-stock association, and includes any 
trustee, receiver, assignee, or personal representative thereof. 
" 'For-hire carrier' includes common and contract carriers. 
" 'Shipper' shall be construed to include officers, agents, and em-
ployees of shippers. 
" 'Interstate and foreign commerce' means commerce between a point 
in one State and a point in another State, between points in the same 
State through another State or through a foreign country, between 
points in a foreign country or countries through the United States, 
and commerce between a point in the United States and a point in 
a foreign country or in a Territory or possession of the United States, 
but only insofar as such commerce takes place in the United States. 
The term 'United States' means all the States and the District of 
Columbia. 
" 'State' includes the District of Columbia. 
" 'Detonating fuzes' means fuzes used in military service to detonate 
the explosive charges of military projectiles, mines, bombs, or tor-
pedoes. 
" 'Fuzes' means devices used in igniting the explosive charges of 
projectiles. 
" 'Fuses' means the slow-burning fuses used commercially to convey 
fire to an explosive combustible mass. 
" 'Fusees' means the fusees ordinarily used on steamboats, railroads, 
and motor carriers as night signals. 
" 'Radioactive materials' means any materials or combination of 
materials that spontaneously emit ionizing radiation. 
" 'Etiologic agents' means the causative agent of such diseases as 
may from time to time be listed in regulations governing etiologic 
agents prescribed by the Interstate Commerce Commission under 
section 834 of this chapter. 
74 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 86-710-SEPT. 6, 1960 
809 
"§ 832. Transportation of explosives, radioactive materials, etiologic 
agents, and other dangerous articles 
"(a) Any person who knowingly transports, carries, or conveys 
within the United States, any dangerous explosives, such as and in-
cluding, dynamite, blasting caps, detonating fuzes, black powder, gun-
powder, or other like explosive, or any radioactive materials, or 
etiologic agents, on or in any passenger car or passenger vehicle of 
any description operated in the transportation of passengers by 
any for-hire carrier engaged in interstate or foreign commerce, by 
land, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than 
one year, or both; and, if the death or bodily injury of any person 
results f 
roni a violation of this section, shall be fined not more than 
$10,000 or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both: Provided^ 
however, That such explosives, radioactive materials, or etiologic 
agents may be transported on or in such car or vehicle whenever 
the Interstate Commerce Commission finds that an emergency re-
quires an expedited movement, in which case such emergency move-
ments shall be made subject to such regulations as the Commission 
may deem necessary or desirable in the public interest in each in-
stance : Provided further, That under this section it shall be lawful to 
transport on or in any such car or vehicle, small quantities of ex-
plosives, radioactive materials, etiologic agents, or other dangerous 
commodities of the kinds, in such amounts, and under such conditions 
as may be determined by the Interstate Commerce Commission to 
involve no appreciable danger to persons or property: And 
provided 
further, That it shall be lawful to transport on or in any such car or 
vehicle such fusees, torpedoes, rockets, or other signal devices as may 
be essential to promote safety in the operation of any such car or 
vehicle on or in which transported. 
This section shall not prevent 
the transportation of military forces with their accompanying muni-
tions of war on passenger-equipment cars or vehicles. 
"(b) No person shall knowingly transport, carry or convey within 
the United States liquid nitroglycerin, fulminate in bulk in dry con-
dition, or other similarly dangerous explosiveSj or radioactive mate-
rials, or etiologic agents, on or in any car or vehicle of any description 
operated in the transportation of passengers or property by any 
carrier engaged in interstate or foreign commerce, by land, except 
under such rules and regulations as the Commission shall specifically 
prescribe with respect to the safe transportation of such commodities. 
The Commission shall from time to time determine and prescribe 
what explosives are 'other similarly dangerous explosives', and may 
prescribe the route or routes over which such explosives, radioactive 
materials, or etiologic agents shall be transported. Any person who 
violates this provision, or any regulation prescribed hereunder by the 
Interstate Commerce Commission, shall be fined not more than 
$1,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and, if the 
death or bodily injury of any person results from a violation of this 
section, shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more 
than ten years, or both. 
"(c) Any shipment of radioactive materials made by or under the 
direction or supervision of the Atomic Energy Commission or the 
Department of Defense which is escorted by personnel specially des-
ignated by or under the authority of the Atomic Energy Commis-
sion or the Department of Defense, as the case may be, for the pur-
pose of national security, shall be exempt from the requirements of 
sections 831-835 of this chapter and the rules and regulations pre-
scribed thereunder. In the case of any shipment of radioactive mate-
rials made by or under the direction or supervision of the Atomic 
Energy Commission or the Department of Defense, which is not so 
PUBLIC LAW 86-710-SEPT. 6, 1960 
[74 S T A T , 
escorted by specially designated personnel, certification upon the bill 
of lading by or under the authority of the Atomic Energy Commis-
sion or the Department of Defense, as the case may be, that the ship-
ment contains radioactive materials shall be conclusive as to content, 
and no further description shall be necessary or required; but each 
package, receptacle, or other container in such unescorted shipment 
shall on the outside thereof be plainly marked 'radioactive materials', 
and shall not be opened for inspection by the carrier. 
"§ 833. Marking packages containing explosives and other dangerous 
articles 
"Any person who knowingly delivers to any carrier engaged in in-
terstate or foreign commerce by land or water, and any person who 
knowingly carries on or in any car or vehicle of any description 
operated m the transportation of passengers or property by any car-
rier engaged in interstate or foreign commerce, by land, any explo-
sive, or other dangerous article, specified in or designated by the 
Interstate Commerce Commission pursuant to section 834 of this 
chapter, under any false or deceptive marking, description, invoice, 
shipping order, or other declaration, or any person who so delivers 
any such article without informing such carrier in writing of the 
true character thereof, at the time such delivery is made, or without 
plainly marking on the outside of every package containing explo-
sives or other dangerous articles the contents thereof, if such mark-
ing is required by regulations prescribed by the Interstate Commerce 
Commission, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not 
more than one year, or both; and, if the death or bodily injury of any 
person results from the violation of this section, shall be fined not 
more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both. 
"§ 834. Regulations by Interstate Commerce Commission 
"(a) The Interstate Commerce Commission shall formulate regu-
lations for the safe transportation within the United States of explo-
sives and other dangerous articles, including radioactive materials, 
etiologic agents, flammable liquids, flammable solids, oxidizing mate-
rials, corrosive liquids, compressed gases, and poisonous substances, 
which shall be binding upon all carriers engaged in interstate or 
foreign commerce which transport explosives or other dangerous 
articles by land, and upon all shippers making shipments of explo-
sives or other dangerous articles via any carrier engaged in inter-
state or foreign commerce by land or water. 
"(b) The Commission, of its own motion, or upon application 
made by any interested party, may make changes or modifications 
in such regulations, made desirable by new information or altered 
conditions. Before adopting any regulations relating to radioactive 
materials the Interstate Commerce Commission shall advise and 
consult with the Atomic Energy Commission. 
"(c) Such regulations shall be in accord with the best-known prac-
ticable means for securing safety in transit, covering the packing, 
marking, loading, handling while in transit, and the precautions 
necessary to determine whether the material when offered is in proper 
condition to transport. 
"(d) Such regulations, as well as all changes or modifications 
thereof, shall, unless a shorter time is specified by the Commission, 
take effect ninety days after their formulation and publication by 
the Commission and shall be in effect until reversed, set aside, or 
modified. 
"(e) In the execution of sections 831-835, inclusive, of this chapter 
the Commission may utilize the services of carrier and shipper 
associations, including the Bureau for the Safe Transportation of 
74 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 86-711-SEPT. 6, 1960 
811 
Explosives and other Dangerous Articles, and may avail itself of 
the advice alid assistance of any department, commission, or board 
of the Federal Government, and of State and local governments, 
but no official or employee of the United States shall receive any addi-
tional compensation for such service except as now permitted by law. 
"(f) Whoever knowingly violates any such regulation shall be 
fined tiot more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, 
or both; and, if the death or bodily injury of any person results from 
such violation, shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned 
not more than ten years, or both. 
"§ 835. Administration 
"(a) The Interstate Commerce Commission is authorized and 
directed to administer, execute, and enforce all provisions of sections 
831-835, inclusive, of this chapter, to make all necessary orders in 
connection therewith, and to prescribe rules, regulations, and pro-
cedure for such administration, and to employ such officers and 
employees as may be necessary to carry out these functions. 
"(b) The Commission is authorized to make such studies and con-
duct such investigations, obtain such information, and hold such hear-
ings as it may deem necessary or proper to assist it in exercising any 
authority provided in sections 831-835, inclusive, of this chapter. For 
such purposes the Commission is authorized to administer oaths and 
affirmations, and by subpena to require any person to appear and 
testify, or to appear and produce documents, or Both, at any designated 
place. No person shall be excused from comply^ing with any require-
ment under this paragraph because of his privilege against self-in-
crimination, but the immunity provisions of the Compulsory Testi-
mony Act of February 11, 1893 (49 U.S.C. 46), shall apply with re- 
27 stat. 443. 
spect to any individual who specifically claims such privilege: Pro-
vided^ however^ That before any person may be required to appear and 
testify or produce documentary evidence, he ishall be advised by the 
Commission that he must specifically claim such privilege. Witnesses 
subpenaed under this subsection shall be paid the same fees and mile-
age as are paid witnesses in the district courts of the United States. 
" (c) In administering and enforcing the provisions of sections 831-
835, inclusive, of this chapter and the reflations prescribed there-
under the Commission shall have and exercise all the powers conferred 
upon it by the Interstate Commerce Act, including procedural and 901'i^o^^ 1231.° ^' 
investigative powers and the power to examine and inspect records 
and properties of carriers engaged in transporting explosives and 
other dangerous articles in interstate or foreign commerce and the 
records and properties of shippers to the extent that such records and 
properties pertain to the packing and shipping of explosives and other 
dangerous articles and the nature of such commodities." 
Approved September 6, 1960. 
September 6, I960 
Public Law 86-711 
AN ACT 
To increase the maximum amount which may be borrowed by the District of 
[s. 3834] 
Columbia for use in the construction and improvement of its sanitary and 
combined sewer systems, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress OMsembled^ That section 214 
D- c., sanitary 
of the District of Columbia Public Works Act of 1954 (68 Stat, feml'^"^" ' ' ' " 
108; sec. 43-1613, D.C. Code, 1951 edition) is amended by striking 
Loan limit. 
"$5,000,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "$32,000,000".