Incidents and Reporting Requirements

§ 171.15 Immediate notice of certain hazardous materials incidents.

(a) General. As soon as practical but no later than 12 hours after the occurrence of any incident described in paragraph (b) of this section, each person in physical possession of the hazardous material must provide notice by telephone to the National Response Center (NRC) on 800-424-8802 (toll free) or 202-267-2675 (toll call). Notice involving an infectious substance (etiologic agent) may be given to the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Public Health Service, Atlanta, Ga., 800-232-0124 (toll free), in place of notice to the NRC. Each notice must include the following information:

(1) Name of reporter;
(2) Name and address of person represented by reporter;
(3) Phone number where reporter can be contacted;
(4) Date, time, and location of incident;
(5) The extent of injury, if any;
(6) Class or division, proper shipping name, and quantity of hazardous materials involved, if such information is available; and
(7) Type of incident and nature of hazardous material involvement and whether a continuing danger to life exists at the scene.

(b) Reportable Incident. A telephone report is required whenever any of the following occurs during the course of transportation in commerce (including loading, unloading, and temporary storage):

(1) As a direct result of a hazardous material -

1. A person is killed;
2. A person receives an injury requiring admittance to a hospital;
3. The general public is evacuated for one hour or more;
4. A major transportation artery or facility is closed or shut down for one hour or more; or
5. The operation flight pattern or routine of an aircraft is altered;

(2) Fire, breakage, spillage, or suspected radioactive contamination occurs involving a radioactive material (see also § 176.48 of this subchapter);
(3) Fire, breakage, spillage, or suspected contamination occurs involving an infectious substance other than a diagnostic specimen or regulated medical waste;
(4) A release of a marine pollutant occurs in a quantity exceeding 450 L (119 gallons) for a liquid or 400 kg (882 pounds) for a solid; or
(5) A situation exists of such a nature (e.g., a continuing danger to life exists at the scene of the incident) that, in the judgment of the person in possession of the hazardous material, it should be reported to the NRC even though it does not meet the criteria of paragraph (b) (1), (2), (3) or (4) of this section.

(c) Written report. Each person making a report under this section must also make the report required by § 171.16 of this Subpart.
Note to § 171.15: Under 40 CFR 302.6, EPA requires persons in charge of facilities (including transport vehicles, vessels, and aircraft) to report any release of a hazardous substance in a quantity equal to or greater than its reportable quantity, as soon as that person has knowledge of the release, to DOT’s National Response Center at (toll free) 800 424 8802 or (toll) 202 267 2675.