  
  
G/TBT/N/USA/1544  
29 October 2019  
(19-7241) 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 Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), 
Department of Transportation (DOT) [1571]  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to ha ndle 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):  Liquefied 
natural gas, transport; Transport by rail (ICS 03.220.30), Environmental protection 
(ICS 13.020), Protection against dangerous goods (ICS 13.300), Vessels and containers 
mounted on vehicles (ICS 23.020.20), Railway rolling stock (ICS 45.060), Fu els 
(ICS 75.160)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Hazardous 
Materials: Liquefied Natural Gas by Rail (14 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  Notice of proposed rulemaking - PHMSA, in coordination with the 
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), is proposing changes to the Hazardous Materials 
Regulations to allow for the bulk transport of Methane, refrigerated liquid, commonly 
known as liquefied natural gas (LNG), in rail tank cars. This rulemaking proposes to 
authorize the transportation of Methane, refrigerated liquid by rail in the DOT -113C120W 
specification rail tank car.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of human health or safety; Cost saving a nd productivity 
enhancement  
8. Relevant documents:   
84 Federal Register (FR) 56964, 24 October 2019; Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR) Parts 172 and 173:  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2019-10-24/html/201 9-22949.htm  
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR -2019-10-24/pdf/2019 -22949.pdf  
Regulatory Review: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=DOT -OST-2017-0069-0001 
Preliminary Regulatory Impact Analysis:  
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=PHMSA -2018-0025-0001 
Hazardous Materials Safety: Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment 
for a Special Permit Request for Liquefied Natural Gas by Rail: 
https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=PHMSA -2019-0100  G/TBT/N/USA/1544  
 
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  9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined  
Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined  
10. Final date for comments:  23 December 2019  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/TBT/USA/19_6047_00_e.pdf  
 