Railroad - Regulatory Agencies

The Department of Transportation (DOT) is responsible for developing and issuing the HMR. The regulations govern the transportation of hazardous materials in interstate, intrastate, and foreign commerce. The DOT carries out this responsibility through the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

The PHMSA is divided into two offices: the Office of Pipeline Safety and the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHMS). The OHMS evaluates safety risks, develops and enforces hazardous materials regulations, issues special permits and approvals, educates shippers and carriers, investigates incidents, and conducts research. The PHMSA also represents the DOT when working with international regulatory agencies regarding rail transportation, such as the following:

• United Nations Subcommittee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals
• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Authority to enforce the HMR is delegated to various agencies within the DOT, including PHMSA, FRA, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also regulates the transportation of environmentally hazardous materials.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Hazardous Materials works with the PHMSA to enable safe, reliable, and efficient movement of people and goods. The FRA Hazardous Materials Program conducts inspections of repair stations, rail carriers, and shippers; implements outreach and education programs; and gathers and analyzes data to find dangerous trends before they can become problems.

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) prepares publications that cover a vast majority of freight railroading rules and regulations, including the AAR Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices, which can be consulted alongside the HMR for questions regarding regulations. However, the AAR is not a regulatory agency, and if there is any discrepancies between the HMR and an AAR manual, take note that the HMR takes precedence over any other regulations.

The independent National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) uses the FRA standards to make recommendations for future regulations but is not itself a regulatory agency.

To learn more about Railroad HAZMAT visit our DOT Railroad HAZMAT Online Training web page.