On March 26th, 2016, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued Final Rule HM-253, Hazardous Materials: Reverse Logistics (RRR), (Docket No. PHMSA-2011-014). Scheduled for imminent publication in the Federal Register, HM-253 follows an August 2014 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposing regulatory amendments applicable to the reverse logistics shipments of certain hazardous materials by highway transportation.
In this rule, PHMSA codifies a definition for the “reverse logistics” of hazardous materials as “the process of offering for transport or transporting by motor vehicle goods from a retail store for return to its manufacturer, supplier, or distribution facility for the purpose of capturing value (e.g., to receive
manufacturer’s credit), recall, replacement, recycling, or similar reason.” PHMSA is also addressing the reverse logistics transportation of used automobile batteries to recycling centers. This change to the HMR will address the concerns of stakeholders pertaining to the consolidation of shipments of lead-acid batteries for recycling. The final rule can be accessed here.