Crashworthiness Protection Requirements for Tank Cars; Detection and Repair of Cracks, Pits, Corrosion, Lining Flaws, Thermal Protection Flaws and Other Defects of Tank Car Tanks

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RSPA is amending the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) to: Require facilities that build, repair, and ensure the structural integrity of tank cars, to develop and implement a quality assurance program (QAP); allow the use of non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques, in lieu of currently prescribed periodic hydrostatic pressure tests, for fusion welded tank cars; require thickness measurements of tank cars; allow the continued use of tank cars, with limited reduced shell thicknesses, for certain hazardous materials; increase the frequency for inspection and testing of tank cars for added safety; clarify tank car pretrip inspection requirements; expand the use of thermal protection systems and head protection on tank cars to include certain other high hazard materials; add new requirements for bottom-discontinuity protection; require the use of protective coatings on insulated tank cars; prohibit the use of self-energized manways located below the liquid level of the tank; remove ``grandfather'' provisions allowing certain uses of tank cars; and improve the puncture resistance of tank cars used for certain high hazard materials, including those that are poisonous-by-inhalation (P