# PHMSA Seeks Public Comment on 17 New Hazardous Materials Special Permit Applications > The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has published 17 new applications for special permits related to hazardous materials transportation. Applicants include major companies like SpaceX, Amazon, and Walmart, with requests covering lithium battery transport, pressure vessel testing, and compressed gas containers. Public comments are due by February 17, 2026. Canonical URL: https://thevisapulse.com/updates/hazmat-special-permits-applications-january-2026 ## At a glance - **Policy status:** Status unverified - **Last verified:** Not recorded - **Human review:** No human review recorded - **Published:** 2026-01-16 - **Impact:** low - **Document type:** Notice - **Source agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration - **Document number:** 2026-00870 Publication dates and impact ratings do not establish whether a policy is in force. Verify current status against the linked government evidence. See /about for our editorial process. ## Who is affected - Hazardous materials shippers and transporters - Manufacturers of pressure vessels and cylinders - Companies transporting lithium batteries - Aerospace and satellite industry operators - Steel drum manufacturers ## Key changes - PHMSA received 17 new special permit applications covering hazardous materials transportation by road, rail, vessel, and aircraft. - Applications include requests from SpaceX, Amazon, Walmart, and Thales Alenia Space for alternative packaging, labeling, and testing methods. - Several applications seek alternative inspection methods (acoustic emission or ultrasonic testing) in place of standard hydrostatic or visual inspections for pressure vessels. - Multiple applicants seek modified rules for transporting lithium ion batteries, including smaller label sizes and alternative packaging. - Public comments on all 17 applications are due by February 17, 2026. ## What you should do If you work in hazardous materials transportation, manufacturing, or shipping and have concerns about any of the 17 listed applications, submit written comments referencing the specific application number to PHMSA by February 17, 2026. Otherwise, no action is required. ## Overview The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, has published a notice listing 17 new applications for special permits from its Hazardous Material Regulations. A special permit allows a company to operate under rules that differ from standard federal hazardous materials transportation regulations, provided safety is maintained. This notice has no direct connection to immigration policy or visa programs. ## Who Is Applying and Why The applications span a wide range of industries and transportation needs: - **Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX)** — Seeking to use acoustic emission testing on pressure vessels every 10 years instead of more frequent standard inspections. - **Apex Technology, Inc.** — Requesting permission to transport an untested prototype battery inside spacecraft equipment by motor vehicle. - **Amazon.com, Inc.** — Applying to use a smaller lithium battery warning mark (25mm x 25mm) with black hatching on packages, rather than the standard size and color. - **Walmart, Inc.** — Seeking a reduced-size lithium battery marking on shipping labels for motor vehicle transport. - **Americase, LLC** — Requesting approval to manufacture and use alternate packaging for lithium ion battery transport. - **Critical Mineral Recovery, Inc.** — Applying to transport fully deactivated, damaged lithium ion cells without inner packaging. - **Pipistrel D.O.O** — Seeking to ship large-format lithium ion batteries over 35kg by cargo-only aircraft. - **Thales Alenia Space** — Requesting permission to transport non-standard containers with compressed gases and other hazardous materials for satellite cooling and propulsion systems. - **Chart Industries, Inc.** — Applying to transport refrigerated liquid carbon dioxide in a specialized double-wall tank car. - Several other companies seeking alternative inspection, testing, or packaging protocols for pressure vessels, cylinders, and steel drums. ## What Are Special Permits? Under federal hazardous materials law (49 U.S.C. 5117), PHMSA can grant special permits that allow companies to deviate from standard regulations when they demonstrate that their alternative approach provides an equivalent or greater level of safety. These are not blanket exemptions — each permit is specific to the applicant, the materials involved, and the transportation modes covered. ## Transportation Modes Covered The applications cover all five regulated transportation modes: 1. Motor vehicle 2. Rail freight 3. Cargo vessel 4. Cargo aircraft only 5. Passenger-carrying aircraft Some applications, such as the large lithium battery shipment by Pipistrel, are limited to cargo-only aircraft (mode 4). ## Comment Deadline Members of the public and interested parties may submit comments on any of these applications. **Comments must be received on or before February 17, 2026.** Comments should: - Reference the specific application number (e.g., 22153-N for the Amazon application) - Be submitted in triplicate - Be mailed to: Record Center, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC 20590 If you want confirmation that your comment was received, include a self-addressed stamped postcard with the special permit number written on it. ## Why This Matters These applications signal ongoing industry efforts to modernize hazardous materials handling — particularly around lithium battery transport, which has grown significantly with the expansion of e-commerce and electric vehicle adoption. Alternative testing methods for pressure vessels and cylinders, if approved, could also change safety inspection standards across multiple industries. For questions, contact Donald Burger, Chief, Office of Hazardous Materials Safety General Approvals and Permits Branch, at (202) 366-4535. ## Sources - Government source · federalregister.gov: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/16/2026-00870/hazardous-materials-notice-of-applications-for-new-special-permits - Source PDF: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-01-16/pdf/2026-00870.pdf --- _The Visa Pulse — Immigration Policy, Explained. Informational coverage of U.S. immigration policy, not legal advice._ - HTML version: https://thevisapulse.com/updates/hazmat-special-permits-applications-january-2026 - Markdown version: https://thevisapulse.com/updates/hazmat-special-permits-applications-january-2026.md - Agent instructions: https://thevisapulse.com/llms.txt - Sitemap: https://thevisapulse.com/sitemap.xml