# Hazardous Materials: Information Collection Activities > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A2026-13289 ## Record - **Collection:** Federal Register - **Document type:** Notice - **Published:** July 1, 2026 - **Citation:** 91 FR 40091 ## Text DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration [Docket No. PHMSA-2026-0199 (Notice No. 2026-04)] Hazardous Materials: Information Collection Activities AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice and request for comments. SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Requests (ICRs) discussed below will be forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for renewal and extension. These ICRs describe the nature of the information collections and their expected burdens. A Federal Register notice and request for comments with a 60-day comment period on these ICRs was published in the Federal Register on January 30, 2026 (91 FR 4172) under Docket No. PHMSA-2026-0199 (Notice No. 2026-04). PHMSA received one comment in response to the 60-day notice from the Railway Safety Institute (RSI) regarding OMB Control Number 2137-0559, “Rail Carrier and Tank Car Tanks Requirements, Rail Tank Car Tanks—Transportation of Hazardous Materials by Rail” (expiring September 30, 2027). However, PHMSA is not addressing the renewal of this OMB Control Number in today's notice. Instead, RSI's comments will be addressed either through a separate 30-day notice or in conjunction with responding to the proposals in the HM-265 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). 1 1 89 FR 85590 (Oct. 28, 2024). DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before July 1, 2026. ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function. We invite comments on: (1) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Department, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Docket: For access to the dockets to read background documents or comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov or DOT's Docket Operations Office. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ryan Larson or Steven Andrews, Standards and Rulemaking Division, (202) 366-8553, ohmspra@dot.gov, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1320.8(d), title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) requires PHMSA to provide interested members of the public and affected agencies an opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping requests. This notice identifies information collection requests PHMSA will be submitting to OMB for renewal and extension. These information collections are contained in 49 CFR 171.6 of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR parts 171-180). PHMSA has revised burden estimates, where appropriate, to reflect current reporting levels or adjustments based on more up to date information. The following information is provided for each information collection: (1) title of the information collection, including former title if a change is being made; (2) OMB Control Number; (3) summary of the information collection activity; (4) description of affected public; (5) estimate of total annual reporting and recordkeeping burden; and (6) frequency of collection. PHMSA will request a 3-year term of approval for each information collection activity and will publish a notice in the Federal Register upon OMB's approval. PHMSA requests comments on the following information collections: Title: Inspection and Testing of Portable Tanks and Intermediate Bulk Containers. OMB Control Number: 2137-0018. Summary: This OMB Control Number describes the information collections in 49 CFR 173, 178, and 180 of the HMR pertaining to the documenting qualifications, inspections, tests, and approvals pertaining to the manufacture and use of portable tanks and intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) under various provisions of the HMR. Information collections under this OMB Control Number include: (1) Design Qualification Testing for IBCs: This information collection consists of the minimum requirements for testing procedures to ensure that IBCs containing hazardous materials can withstand normal conditions of transportation. Each packaging must pass the prescribed tests and conform to § 173.24 while in transportation. The testing requirements in § 178.801(d) ensure that the packaging manufacturer achieves successful test results for the design qualification testing at the start of production of each new or different IBC design type. (2) Periodic Design Requalification Testing of IBCs: This information collection consists of the requirements for periodic design re-qualification of each qualified IBC design type to maintain authorization for continued production. IBC manufacturers must conduct successful tests at sufficient frequency to ensure each packaging produced is capable of passing the design qualification tests, which must be conducted at least once every 12 months. (3) Applications for Approval of Equivalent Packaging: This information collection consists of the requirements for approval of equivalent packaging applications submitted by the regulated community to PHMSA, which allows the use of an IBC differing from the standards outlined in the HMR if it is shown to be equally effective and if the testing methods used are equivalent. (4) Reporting Requirements for Retest and Inspection of IBCs: This information collection consists of the requirements for the continuing qualification, maintenance, or periodic retesting of an IBC by any person responsible for it. Each IBC constructed in accordance with a United Nations (UN) standard for which a test or inspection is required may not be filled and offered for transportation or transported until the testing and inspection have been successfully completed. The information collection also reflects the creation of a report that identifies the testing and inspection of IBCs. (5) Recordkeeping for IBC Testing: This information collection consists of the recordkeeping requirements associated with IBC testing in §§ 178.801 and 180.352. The IBC owner or lessee must keep records of periodic retests, initial and periodic inspections, and test performance on the IBC if it has been repaired. Records must be kept for each packaging at each location where periodic tests are conducted and must be available for inspection by a DOT representative upon request. (6) Manufacturers Data Report (ASME) for Portable Tanks: This information collection consists of the requirements for tanks designed and constructed in accordance with, and that fulfill all the requirements of, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code. In addition to the markings required by the ASME Code, every tank must bear permanent marks that include the information specified in § 178.255-14, which must be stamped into the metal near the center of one of the tank heads or stamped into a plate permanently attached to the tank by means of brazing or welding or other suitable means. (7) Approval Applications for Specification UN Portable Tank Design: This information collection requires an owner or manufacturer of a portable tank to apply for an approval to a designated approval agency authorized to approve new portable tanks designs. (8) Applications for Modifications to Portable Tank Designs: This information collection requires an owner or manufacturer of a portable tank to apply for an approval to a designated approval agency authorized to approve the modifications to portable tanks designs. (9) Portable Tanks—Approval Agency Retention of Documents: This information collection consists of the requirement for approval agencies to review all drawings and calculations to ensure that the design is compliant with the relevant specification. The approval agency must maintain the drawings and approval records for as long as the portable tank remains in service and provide this information to the DOT upon request. (10) Portable Tanks—Manufacturers Retention of Documents: This information collection requires that qualification records for specification portable tanks be retained for at least 5 years by the tank manufacturer and made available to duly identified representatives of the DOT or the owner of the tank. (11) Recordkeeping for the Testing of Portable Tank: This information collection requires that the owner of the portable tank or his/her authorized agent will retain a written record indicating the date and results of all required tests, as well as the name and address of the tester, until the next retest has been satisfactorily completed and recorded. This information must be provided to the DOT upon request. The following is a list of the information collections and burden estimates associated with this OMB Control Number: Information collection Respondents Total annual responses Hours per response Total annual burden hours Design Qualification Testing for IBCs—Applications for the Certification Mark 13 494 3 1,482 Periodic Design Requalification Testing of IBCs—Submission of Changes to Test Frequency to the Associate Administrator 13 494 3 1,482 Applications for Approval of Equivalent Packaging—IBCs 5 5 3 15 Reporting Requirements for Retest and Inspection of IBCs 1,000 100,000 0.25 25,000 Recordkeeping for IBC Testing 150 150 0.25 38 Manufacturers Data Report (ASME) for Portable Tanks 50 50,000 0.25 12,500 Approval Applications for Specification UN Portable Tank Design 13 494 3 1,482 Applications for Modifications to Portable Tank Designs 13 494 3 1,482 Portable Tanks—Approval Agency Retention of Documents 13 494 0.25 124 Portable Tanks—Manufacturers Retention of Documents 50 50,000 0.25 12,500 Recordkeeping for the Testing of Portable Tanks 150 150 0.25 38 Affected Public: Manufacturers and owners of portable tanks and intermediate bulk containers. Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden: Number of Respondents: 1,470. Total Annual Responses: 202,775. Total Annual Burden Hours: 56,143. Frequency of Collection: On occasion. Title: Hazardous Materials Incident Reports. OMB Control Number: 2137-0039. Summary: This information collection is applicable upon occurrence of an incident as prescribed in 49 CFR 171.15 and 171.16. A Hazardous Materials Incident Report, DOT Form F 5800.1, must be completed by a person in physical possession of a hazardous material at the time a hazardous material incident occurs in transportation, such as the release of materials, serious accident, evacuation, or closure of a main artery. Incidents meeting criteria in 49 CFR 171.15 also require a telephonic report. This information collection enhances the Agency's ability to evaluate the effectiveness of its regulatory program, determine the need for regulatory changes, and address emerging hazardous materials transportation safety issues. The requirements apply to all interstate and intrastate carriers engaged in the transportation of hazardous materials by rail, air, water, and highway. The following information collections and their burdens are associated with this OMB Control Number: Information collection Respondents Total annual responses Hours per response Total annual burden hours Telephone Notifications 180 720 0.08 58 Incident Reports Paper—Written 172 2,888 1.6 4,621 Incident Reports—Electronic 166 19,720 0.8 15,776 Affected Public: Shippers and carriers of hazardous materials. Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden: Number of Respondents: 518. Total Annual Responses: 23,328. Total Annual Burden Hours: 20,455. Frequency of Collection: On occasion. Title: Testing Requirements for Non-Bulk Packaging. OMB Control Number: 2137-0572. Summary: This OMB Control Number describes the information collections in 49 CFR 173 and 180 of the HMR pertaining to the testing requirements for non-bulk packagings. This OMB Control Number covers performance-oriented packaging standards and allows packaging manufacturers and shippers more flexibility in selecting more economical packagings for their products. These information collections also allow customizing the design of packagings to better suit the transportation environment that they will encounter and encourages technological innovations, decreases packaging costs, and significantly reduces the need for special permits. These information collections specifically include: (1) Testing Requirements for Non-Bulk Packaging (Reporting): This information collection consists of various testing requirements that must be met by non-bulk packaging, depending on the type of material it will contain. These include thermal resistance tests for packaging transporting oxygen cylinders, leakproofness tests for liquid hazardous materials, hydrostatic pressure tests for metal, plastic, and composite containers, cooperage tests for bung-type wooden barrels, and additional testing for packaging intended to contain infectious substances. The specific tests required may vary based on the outer and inner packaging material used. (2) Additional Test Reports (Reporting): This information collection consists of the requirement to prepare and maintain a test report after each design qualification test or periodic retest of a packaging. The test report must be available to the user of the packaging or a representative of the DOT upon request and includes details such as the date, name, and address of the testing facility, packaging design type, maximum capacity, characteristics of test contents, and test descriptions and results. (3) Test Reports (Recordkeeping): This information collection requires that test report must be made available to a user of a packaging or a representative of the DOT, upon request. The test report includes information such as: the date, name, and address of the testing facility; a description of the packaging design type; the maximum capacity; characteristics of test contents; and test descriptions and results. (4) Closure Instructions (Reporting): This information collection consists of the requirement for the manufacturer or certifier of non-bulk packaging to create closure instructions, in accordance with § 178.2(c). These instructions indicate the means of closure with which the package was tested and ensure that any subsequent shipper maintains the same level of safety when the package is closed for transportation of hazardous materials. (5) Closure Instructions (Recordkeeping): This information collection requires that the manufacturer or other person certifying compliance, along with each subsequent distributor of the packaging, provide closure instructions to each person to whom the packaging is transferred, as well as any representative of the DOT, for inspection. The following is a list of the information collections and burden estimates associated with this OMB Control Number: Information collection Respondents Total annual responses Hours per response Total annual burden hours Testing Requirements for Non-Bulk Packaging—Reporting 5,000 15,000 2.016 30,250 Additional Test Reports—Reporting 10 30 2 60 Test Reports—Recordkeeping 100 1,000 0.1 100 Closure Instructions—Reporting 500 500 2 1,000 Closure Instructions—Recordkeeping 16,080 16,080 0.083 1,340 Affected Public: Each non-bulk packaging manufacturer that tests packagings to ensure compliance with the HMR. Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden: Number of Respondents: 21,690. Total Annual Responses: 32,610. Total Annual Burden Hours: 32,750. Frequency of Collection: On occasion. Title: Hazardous Materials Public Sector Training and Planning Grants. OMB Control Number: 2137-0586. Summary: This OMB Control Number describes the information collections in 49 CFR 110 pertaining to the procedures for reimbursable grants for public sector planning and training in support of the emergency planning and training efforts of States, Indian tribes, and local communities to manage hazardous materials emergencies, particularly those involving transportation. Sections in this Part address information collection and recordkeeping with regard to applying for grants, monitoring expenditures, and reporting and requesting modifications. The following is a list of the information collections and burden estimates associated with this OMB Control Number: Information collection Respondents Total annual responses Hours per response Total annual burden hours Hazardous Materials Grants Applications 68 68 83.26 5,662 Affected Public: State and local governments, Indian tribes. Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden: Number of Respondents: 68. Total Annual Responses: 68. Total Annual Burden Hours: 5,662. Frequency of Collection: On occasion. Title: Cargo Tank Motor Vehicles in Liquefied Compressed Gas Service. OMB Control Number: 2137-0595. Summary: This information collection and recordkeeping burden pertains to the requirements applicable to the manufacture, certification, inspection, repair, maintenance, and operation of certain DOT specification and non-specification cargo tank motor vehicles used to transport liquefied compressed gases. These requirements are intended to ensure cargo tank motor vehicles used to transport liquefied compressed gases are operated safely, and to minimize the potential for catastrophic releases during unloading and loading operations. They include: (1) requirements for operators of cargo tank motor vehicles in liquefied compressed gas service to develop operating procedures applicable to unloading operations and carry the operating procedures on each vehicle; (2) inspection, maintenance, marking, and testing requirements for the cargo tank discharge system, including delivery hose assemblies; and (3) requirements for emergency discharge control equipment on certain cargo tank motor vehicles transporting liquefied compressed gases that must be installed and certified by a Registered Inspector. The following information collections and their burdens are associated with this OMB Control Number: Information collection Respondents Total annual responses Hours per response Total annual burden hours Marking New/Repaired Hoses with Unique Identifier 6,800 12,172 0.083 1,010 Monthly Hose Inspections Record 6,800 439,960 0.1 43,996 Record of Monthly Piping Tests Record 6,800 400,112 0.2 80,022 Hose Pressure Test Marking Record 6,800 12,172 0.083 1,010 Annual Hose Test Record 6,800 36,652 0.42 15,394 Cargo Tanks in Other Than Metered Delivery Service—Design Certification for Automatic Shutoff 150 900 8 7,200 Cargo Tanks in Other Than Metered Delivery Service—Instillation of Shutoff System by a Registered Inspector 150 900 8 7,200 Cargo Tank Motor Vehicles in Metered Delivery Service—Certification of Remote-Control Equipment by a Registered Inspector 150 3,300 8 26,400 Affected Public: Carriers in liquefied compressed gas service, manufacturers and repairers. Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden: Number of Respondents: 34,450. Total Annual Responses: 906,168. Total Annual Burden Hours: 182,232. Frequency of Collection: On occasion. Title: Inspection and Testing of Meter Provers. OMB Control Number: 2137-0620. Summary: This information collection and recordkeeping burden results from the requirements pertaining to the use, inspection, and maintenance of mechanical displacement meter provers (meter provers) used to check the accurate flow of liquid hazardous materials into bulk packagings—such as portable tanks and cargo tank motor vehicles. These meter provers are used to ensure that the proper amount of liquid hazardous materials is being loaded and unloaded. These meter provers consist of a gauge and several pipes that always contain small amounts of the liquid hazardous material in the pipes as residual material and, therefore, must be inspected and maintained in accordance with the HMR to ensure they are in proper calibration and working order. These meter provers are not subject to the specification testing and inspection requirements in 49 CFR 178. However, these meter provers must be visually annually inspected and hydrostatic pressure tested every five years in order to ensure they are properly working as specified in 49 CFR 173.5a of the HMR. Therefore, this information collection requires that: (1) Each meter prover must undergo and pass an annual external visual inspection to ensure that the meter provers used in the flow of liquid hazardous materials into bulk packagings are accurate and in conformance with the performance standards in the HMR. (2) Each meter prover must undergo and pass a hydrostatic pressure test at least every 5 years to ensure that the meter provers used in the flow of liquid hazardous materials into bulk packagings are accurate and in conformance with the performance standards in the HMR. (3) Each meter prover must successfully complete the test and inspection and must be marked in accordance with 49 CFR 180.415(b) and 173.5a. (4) Each owner must retain a record of the most recent visual inspection and pressure test until the meter prover is requalified. The following information collections and their burdens are associated with this OMB Control Number: Information collection Respondents Total annual responses Hours per response Total annual burden hours Annual Visual Inspection 250 250 0.5 125 Hydrostatic Pressure Test (Every 5 Years) 250 250 0.2 50 Affected Public: Owners of meter provers used to measure liquid hazardous materials flow into bulk packagings such as cargo tanks and portable tanks. Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Burden: Number of Respondents: 500. Total Annual Responses: 500. Total Annual Burden Hours: 175. Frequency of Collection: On occasion. Issued in Washington, DC, on June 29, 2026 under authority delegated in 49 CFR 1.97. Matthew Nickels, Acting Director, Standards and Rulemaking Division, Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. [FR Doc. 2026-13289 Filed 6-30-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-60-P --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A2026-13289. Public record. Not legal advice.