Approvals for Hazardous Materials

This information collection is voluntary, but is required when persons wish to conduct transportation activities requiring approval from the Associate Administrator, including becoming an approval or certification agency, obtaining clearance to manufacture a package with a variance from the general requirements, or manufacturing and transporting a new explosive material. There HMR contains more than 100 approval provisions, which specifies that a person must apply for an approval from the Associate Administrator, to receive authorization for that action. An entity that wishes to perform a function requiring approval from the Associate Administrator, is required to respond to this information collection. The types of entities widely range, such as persons who manufacture explosives, persons wishing to transport various quantities and types of hazardous materials by aircraft, or persons wishing to become a cylinder approval agency. This information collection is a reporting requirement, in which an entity subject to the requirement must apply for an approval when they first want to perform the function subject to approval requirements. The person may also need to reapply for an approval at a frequency, which is specified by the type of approval itself. For example, some classification approvals may never expire, while others may require renewal every 5 years. Each approval application requires that an applicant demonstrate an equivalent level of safety, in addition to information pertinent to the type of approval they are requesting. For example, classification approvals require test data, while cylinder visual inspection approvals require training records, names of persons performing inspections, and facility location. An applicant will be eligible to perform their requested activity or transport their requested material, with a formal approval letter issued by PHMSA. This collection, which is only required for a small portion of hazardous materials transportation operations, ensures that PHMSA is aware of those persons conducting specific operations, while also ensuring the continued safe transportation of hazardous materials. This information collection currently requires RIN applicants to submit for approval their RIN application and the pre-approval inspection report generated by an IIA. However, in this request, and based on a Notice of Administrative Discretion and Guidance, PHMSA is authorizing alternative documentation in lieu of the pre-approval inspection report, when an IIA inspection cannot be completed. Therefore, PHMSA is submitting a request for a non-substantive change to this burden request.

The latest form for Approvals for Hazardous Materials expires 2023-09-30 and can be found here.

Designated approval agencies, independent cylinder testing agencies, and prospective foreign manufacturers of cylinders

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Transportation - Ground Transportation