# 2025-12090: PHMSA Eases Rules for Empty Danger Drums – Haul Freely!

2025-12090, Hazardous Materials: Adoption of Department of Transportation Special Permit 21478, is a Federal Register proposed rule from Transportation Department, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration published 2025-07-01, effective starting as soon as the new rules go live (as of 2026-06-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-12090
- As of: 2026-06-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2025-12090
- Title: Hazardous Materials: Adoption of Department of Transportation Special Permit 21478
- Type: Proposed Rule
- Agencies: Transportation Department; Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- Citation: 90 FR 28566
- Published: 2025-07-01
- Effective: starting as soon as the new rules go live
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: 2137-AG18
- Last updated: 2026-06-11

## In one line

PHMSA Eases Rules for Empty Danger Drums – Haul Freely!

## Summary

PHMSA is making it easier to transport certain empty hazardous material containers by adopting DOT special permit 21478 into the official rules. This means some containers can move without extra paperwork, labels, or special markings, as long as safety rules are followed. This change helps companies save time and hassle, starting as soon as the new rules go live.

## Abstract

PHMSA proposes to adopt the provisions of DOT special permit (SP) 21478 into the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR). Adoption of this special permit would authorize intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) containing a residue of a certain hazardous materials to be transported without shipping papers, placards, and motor vehicle marking of the UN identification (ID) number subject to additional operational controls. The proposed revisions provide relief from undue burdens of hazard communication requirements for low-risk transportation of empty packaging and eliminate the need for special permit renewal requests.

## Effects PRIA read

- Transport IBCs Without Papers or Placards: benefit, medium. If you transport hazardous material residues in intermediate bulk containers (IBCs), DOT special permit 21478 would be adopted into the Hazardous Materials Regulations to allow those IBCs to move without shipping papers, placards, or motor vehicle marking of the UN identification (ID) number. This…
- Relief for Low‑Risk Empty Packaging: benefit, medium. PHMSA would provide relief from hazard communication requirements for low-risk transportation of empty packaging, allowing some empty packagings to move without extra labels or paperwork. The proposal also eliminates the need to submit special permit renewal requests for the provisions adopted from…

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## Sources
- [2025-12090 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/07/01/2025-12090/hazardous-materials-adoption-of-department-of-transportation-special-permit-21478)
- [2025-12090 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-07-01/pdf/2025-12090.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2025-12087, Deregulatory-American Fisheries Act Program Update; Simplifying the Application…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-12087)
- [Next: 2025-12095, Hazardous Materials: Reduce Training Burdens for America's Farmers](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-12095)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-12090 (as of 2026-06-11).