Interpretation Response #25-0163
Below is the interpretation response detail and a list of regulations sections applicable to this response.
Interpretation Response Details
Response Publish Date:
Company Name: Catawba Corps
Individual Name: John B. Woodbury
Location State: ID Country: US
View the Interpretation Document
Response text:
June 25, 2026
John B. Woodbury
Packaging Management Council Coordinator
Catawba Corps
3533 15th Street E
Lewiston, ID 83501
Reference No. 25-0163
Dear Mr. Woodbury:
This letter is in response to your December 15, 2025 email requesting clarification of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) applicable to fissile materials. Specifically, you ask whether a liquid payload can qualify for the fissile exceptions in § 173.453(b).
Yes. In order to qualify for the fissile material exceptions in § 173.453(b), the packaging must contain "15 grams or less of fissile material provided the package has at least 200 grams of solid nonfissile material for every gram of fissile material." While the nonfissile material in this calculation must be solid, § 173.453(b) does not require that the fissile material be solid.
I hope this information is helpful. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Sincerely,
Alexander Wolcott
Acting Chief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention Branch
Standards and Rulemaking Division
173.453(b)
Regulation Sections
| Section | Subject |
|---|---|
| 173.453 | Fissile materials-exceptions |