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Chemical transportation Emergency Center (CHEMTREC) Registration Agreement

January 4, 1991

This Registration Agreement sets forth the requirements for registration with the Chemical Transportation Emergency Center (CHEMTREC), a service provided by the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA). Each company that registers with CHEMTREC (Registrant or CHEMTREC Registrant) must satisfy these requirements to enable CHEMTREC to perform its emergency response functions, which are (1) to provide initial response information concerning the Registrant's products that may be involved in a transportation emergency and (2) to notify the Registrant of any incident involving the Registrant's products so the Registrant can provide appropriate follow-up information and assistance. The CHEMTREC registration requirements are described below.

1. Use of the CHEMTREC Telephone Number

CHEMTREC's services are typically triggered by a first-responder (police, fire fighter, carrier, etc.) calling CHEMTREC from the scene of a chemical release. To obtain emergency response assistance from CHEMTREC, a first-responder needs to identify quickly and clearly CHEMTREC's emergency telephone number. Moreover, 49 C.F.R. 172.604(a)(3) requires the shipper to place on the shipping papers the telephone number of the organization that the shipper has designated as its 24-hour contact. This regulation further requires the telephone number to be located "immediately following the description of the hazardous material" or to be entered in a clearly visible location with the indication that the number is for emergency response information, such as after the words "EMERGENCY CONTACT."

Therefore, any company that uses CHEMTREC as its 24-hour contact to meet the requirements of 49 CFR. 172.604 must place on each hazardous materials shipping paper for every shipment that occurs in whole or in part in the United States CHEMTREC's telephone number "(800) 424-9300" immediately after the description of the hazardous material of after the clearly visible reference "EMERGENCY CONTACT." Foreign shippers of hazardous materials into the U.S. of Canada should also place CHEMTRAC's international telephone number "(202) 483-7616" on their shipping papers in the event an emergency occurs prior to the shipment arriving in the U.S. or Canada. Companies that place the CHEMTREC telephone number on their Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) should clearly note that CHEMTREC's emergency number is to be used "ONLY IN THE EVENT OF CHEMICAL EMERGENCIES INVOLVING A SPILL, LEAK, FIRE, EXPOSURE, OR ACCIDENT INVOLVING CHEMICALS." Only companies that are registered with CHEMTREC are authorized to place the CHEMTREC telephone number on their shipping papers and MSDSs. Placement of the CHEMTREC telephone number on consumer product labels is inappropriate and constitutes an improper use of the telephone number.

2. Submission of Material Safety Data Sheets

Upon receiving a call from a first-responder, CHEMTREC typically provides information on the immediate emergency response and incident mitigation procedures for the specific chemical that has been released. This information comes primarily from the MSDS that was provided to CHEMTREC by the Registrant in advance of the shipment. It is essential that the Registrant's MSDSs be comprehensive, accurate, up-to-date, legible, and in English.

Registrants other than chemical manufacturers/producers, such as chemical distributors, should contact each of their suppliers to confirm whether that company is already registered with CHEMTREC. Distributors are not required to submit MSDSs for products purchased from suppliers that are CHEMTREC Registrants. However, distributors must submit MSDSs for products supplied by a CHEMTREC Registrant that have been repackaged and shipped under different names (i.e., unique trade names), and such MSDSs must contain the distributor's name and address. Registrants that deal with suppliers that are not CHEMTREC Registrants should maintain the specific emergency response information for these products and have it immediately available to CHEMTREC.

To facilitate the entry of MSDS information into the CHEMTREC database, MSDSs should, whenever possible, be submitted in CHEMTREC's magnetic tape format. All Registrants with more than 1,000 MSDSs must submit their MSDSs in CHEMTREC's magnetic tape format. MSDSs that are submitted in a hard copy (paper) format must be received by CHEMTREC at least 30 days before CHEMTREC is listed on shipping papers as an emergency contact for those products. MSDSs that are submitted in CHEMTREC's magnetic tape format must be received by CHEMTREC at least 10 days before CHEMTREC is listed on shipping papers as an emergency contact for those products. The protocol for submitting MSDSs on magnetic tape is included in CHEMTREC's MSDS Submission Policy. As also explained in the MSDS Submission Policy, MSDSs for new products and any revisions to existing MSDSs that materially affect the emergency response information for a product must be promptly provided to CHEMTREC. In addition, each Registrant must confirm annually that the MSDS information that it has provided to CHEMTREC is up-to-date.

3. Product Names

CHEMTREC typically retrieves emergency response information from its data base by the "Product Name" or "Trade Name" of the hazardous material as that "Product Name" or "Trade Name" appears on the MSDS. In order for CHEMTREC to provide such information promptly, it is necessary that the first-responder be able to identify the "Product Name" or "Trade Name" from the shipping papers accompanying the shipment.

Therefore, all CHEMTREC Registrants must place legibly on each shipping paper the "Product Name" or "Trade Name" of the hazardous material as such "Product Name" of "Trade Name" appears on the MSDS. Note: This CHEMTREC requirement that the "Product Name" or "Trade Name" appear on each shipping paper is in addition to the requirements under DOT regulations regarding the designation of "Proper Shipping Name."

4. Emergency Contacts

After providing immediate emergency response information, CHEMTREC contacts the shipper and either bridges the shipper into an on-going telephone call with the responders at the incident scene or provides the shipper with the telephone number of the responders so that the shipper can provide additional advice and assistance as necessary. Therefore, CHEMTREC must have up-to-date names and telephone numbers of the Registrant's designed CHEMTREC emergency contacts.

To register with CHEMTREC, foreign companies shipping hazardous materials into the U.S. must designate an agent in the U.S. to be contacted in the event of a chemical emergency. The agent must be authorized to make decisions on behalf of the foreign CHEMTREC Registrant, including activating emergency response/spill clean-up contractors if necessary. foreign Registrants must also join CMA's CHEMNET program as Limited Subscribers. (Please refer to the Guide for New CHEMNET Members for additional information).

Each Registrant must promptly notify CHEMTREC's business office in writing when there is a change in the names and/or telephone numbers of its emergency contacts, and must confirm at least once a year that the names and telephone numbers that it has provided to CHEMTREC are up-to-date.

5. Names of Associated Companies

The "shipper" identified on hazardous materials shipping papers may be the company that signs as the CHEMTREC Registrant below, or a parent, subsidiary, or division of the Registrant. The Registrant must provide CHEMTREC with the name(s) of all parents, subsidiaries, or divisions that could appear as the "shipper" on hazardous material shipping papers and for which the Registrant accepts responsibility for coordinating and handling the response to chemical emergencies.

Any changes regarding associated companies must be provided to CHEMTREC before such companies ship hazardous materials listing CHEMTREC as an emergency contact. Further, each Registrant must confirm at least once a year that the names of associated companies that it has provided to CHEMTREC are up-to-date.

6. Contacting the Accident Scene

Most releases of hazardous materials require follow-up advice and assistance from the Registrant in addition to the immediate advice provided by CHEMTREC. To facilitate their follow-up, CHEMTREC contacts the Registrant and either bridges the Registrant into an on-going telephone call with the responders at the incident scene or provides the Registrant with the telephone number or other means of contacting the responders at the scene.

Promptly upon being notified by CHEMTREC that its shipment is involved in a hazardous materials incident, the Registrant must contact the responders at the scene to provide advice and assistance necessary to bring the incident to ta satisfactory conclusion. The Registrant should also provide periodic status reports to CHEMTREC communicators on a serious incident and should "close the loop" on all incidents by informing CHEMTREC of the actions taken.

This Registration Agreement must be signed below by a corporate officer who has reviewed the requirements for registration with CHEMTREC and agrees to them on behalf of the Registrant. By signing this Registration Agreement, Registrant agrees to comply with the requirements herein.

This Registration Agreement will continue in effect until it is terminated by the CHEMTREC Registrant for any reason (by written notice to CHEMTREC), or until it is terminated by CMA (by written notice to the Registrant)because of the Registrant's failure to comply with the terms of the Registration Agreement or to pay the annual CHEMTREC registration fee required of Registrants that are not members of CMA.

This Registration Agreement in no way affects the requirements of 49 C.F.R. 172.600-604 or relieves the CHEMTREC Registrant of any of its obligations under those provisions.

Please return the executed copy of this Registration Agreement, along with the completed Emergency Contacts Form (green), Subsidiaries Form (yellow), and the Material Safety Data Sheets (when required), to:

CHEMTREC REGISTRATION
Chemical Manufactures Association
2501 M Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20037