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Emergency response telephone number and Chemtrec

Regulation

172.604

Regulation summary

Section 172.604 establishes the emergency response telephone number requirements for shipping papers. A person who offers a hazardous material for transportation must provide an emergency response telephone number for use in an emergency. The number must be monitored 24/7, and the person monitoring the number must have comprehensive emergency response and incident mitigation information for the material.

Many shippers and carriers contract with CHEMTREC to satisfy the requirements of this section.

Question/Dilemma

Are the shipper and carrier both required to have a contract with CHEMTREC?

PHMSA assessed carriers and shippers listing CHEMTREC on shipping papers, and the agency determined that CHEMTREC’s emergency response telephone number was frequently listed without a current contract with CHEMTREC.

In this interpretation, PHMSA addresses whether the carrier and shipper are both required to be under a CHEMTREC contract when using the emergency response telephone number on shipping papers.

The interpretation indicates that the carrier, not the shipper, is contracted with CHEMTREC.

Interpretation summary

In interpretation Ref. No. 19-0056, PHMSA advised that it is permissible, provided the matter is agreed to and/or arranged for between the two parties, and the shipper ensures the emergency response information (ERI) provider has received current information on the shipper’s material and agreed to provide this service for the shipper before the material or materials are offered for transportation.

  • If CHEMTREC is providing the service, either the shipper or the carrier must have a current contract with the provider.
  • In this interpretation, the shipper is not required to have a contract with CHEMTREC because the shipper is providing the current information on the hazardous materials.