RSPA PROPOSES RULE CHANGES TO LITHIUM BATTERIES TRANSPORT

RSPA PROPOSES RULE CHANGES TO LITHIUM BATTERIES TRANSPORT    The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) is accepting public comment as it considers amendments on rules for transporting lithium batteries. Comments must be accepted by June 14.
   The proposals, RSPA said, are consistent with changes recently made to the United Nations’ recommendations on the transport of dangerous goods. Some of the proposed amendments would include: changes to test methods for lithium batteries; revisions to exceptions for small batteries; elimination of an exception for larger batteries; and exceptions for aircraft passengers and crew.
   The changes in The UN’s recommendations arose after incidents in the last three years involving lithium batteries. In one 1999 incident, a shipment of pallets holding 120,000 lithium batteries caught fire after being off-loaded from a flight originating from Japan. The fire was quelled by cargo handling employees with fire extinguishers, but continued to burn. Another incident occurred in November 2000, when a shipment of lithium sulfur dioxide batteries burned through its inner packaging and charred an adjoining package.
   Written comments may be sent to the Docket Management System, U.S. Department of Transportation, Room PL 401, 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590-0001. Comments may also be submitted by e-mail by accessing the Docket Management System Web site at: https://dms.dot.gov .