Hazardous Materials Shipping Regulations

Hazardous materials shipments are regulated by numerous government agencies and non-government organizations. Shipping hazardous materials requires meeting complex regulations. Failure to meet these regulations has potential public safety implications and each violation of a regulation may result in the following:

• Individual Civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation, per day
• Willful individual violators may be fined up to $250,000 and/or receive up to 5 years in prison, 10 years under special circumstances
• The University may also be fined up to $500,000 per incident

For Regulations on Ground Shipments:

• United States Department of Transportation (DOT) - Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 49
• California Highway Patrol (CHP)
• Shipper must follow other agencies and organizations requirements depending on the nature of the material

For Regulations on Air Shipments:

• International Air Transport Association (IATA) - regulates all aspects of dangerous goods transport via air per the International Civil Aviation Organization.
• Shipper must follow air carrier’s and country-of-receipt’s requirements, and all requirements of other agencies and organizations depending on the nature of the material.

For Regulations on Export Controls:

• Department of Commerce's Export Administration Regulations (EAR)
• The Department of State's International Traffic In Arms Regulations (ITAR)
• Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

Other Agencies and UC Berkeley Organizations:

• UC Berkeley Sponsored Projects Office: Material Transfer Authorizations

http://www.spo.berkeley.edu/guide/mtaquick.html

• Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Etiologic Agent Import Permit Program

• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA, Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS)

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/

• FedEx Dangerous Goods Service Information, or (800) GO-FEDEX

http://www.federalexpress.com/us/services/options/express/dangerousgoods/resources.html

• United States Postal Service (USPS)
  http://www.usps.com/aviationsecurity/welcome.htm

• UCB Property Management – Central Distribution

http://businessservices.berkeley.edu/HtmFiles/CentralDist.htm


• Office of Intellectual Property and Industry Research Alliances (IPIRA)
  For shipping intellectual property (either domestically or internationally), contact IPRA to obtain information on Material Transfer Agreements and licenses, or to clarify questions regarding patentable inventions, copyrightable software, and tangible material transferred to the private sector: http://ipira.berkeley.edu