NCJ Number
127083
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 57 Issue: 12 Dated: (December 1990) Pages: 26,27
Date Published
1990
Length
2 pages
Annotation
The Research and Special Program Administration (RSPA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation is the Federal agency that writes the hazardous materials transportation regulations.
Abstract
The RSPA's Office of Hazardous Materials Transportation (OHMT) is specifically responsible for developing a national regulatory program. It relies on the Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, and the U.S. Coast Guard. OHMT's six divisions include the (1) Standards Division, which promulgates amendments to regulations and solicits comments from the general public; (2) Exemptions and Approvals Division, which determines whether requested exemptions from regulations would be consistent with the public interest; (3) Technical Division, which provides technical data and emphasizes packaging integrity; (4) Enforcement Division, which coordinates enforcement and conducts joint inspections with other agencies; (5) Policy Development and Information Systems Division, which collates national data on hazardous materials incidents; and (6) Federal, State, and Private Sector Initiatives Division, which maintains contact with government and industry. RSPA distributes its Emergency Response Guidebook to all the police and fire vehicles in the country; and publishes a newsletter; and is currently producing videos, pamphlets, posters, charts, fact sheets, and bulletins.