Hazardous Materials: Adoption of Department of Transportation Special Permit 21478
Key claim: PHMSA’s final rule adopts DOT special permit 21478 so empty intermediate bulk containers holding only hazardous-material residue may be transported without shipping papers, placards, or UN identification numbers.
Abstract
(Rule · Transportation Department, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration) This final rule removes undue regulatory burdens by adopting the provisions of U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) special permit (SP) 21478 to allow empty intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) that only contain the residue of a hazardous material to be transported without shipping papers, placards, and United Nations (UN) identification (ID) numbers.
[This finding represents 4 closely related documents issued 2026-08-04 (same source, same action). Related: fedreg:2026-15819, fedreg:2026-15818, fedreg:2026-15817]
Why this matters
Codifying SP 21478 into the Hazardous Materials Regulations reduces paperwork and marking burdens for shippers moving empty IBCs with only residue, while preserving the underlying safety assumptions PHMSA has already validated through years of special-permit operation. The practical effect is regulatory relief for reverse-logistics and container-reconditioning supply chains without altering placarding rules for loaded IBCs.