On August 15, 2017,  RIPA President Paul Rankin made a presentation at the  Hazardous Materials Grant Conference on behalf of the broad inter-industry group known as the Interested Parties (IP).  You can read the speech  HERE.

Mr. Rankin’s speech reviews the legislative history of the Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Program, as well as several other related fee-based safety programs.  HMEP registration fees are paid to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, and then are distributed to the various states to support four separate state hazmat training and planning programs.  Approximately $22 million is collected each year for the HMEP programs.  The Interested Parties appreciates the need for a national registration program, but is concerned that the fees are not always used effectively or efficiently. The Interested Parties, which is chaired by Mr. Rankin, is a coalition of 46 national trade associations representing every aspect of the hazardous materials business, from production to packaging and transport.