PHMSA’S Richard and Posten Present COSTHA with New Programs at the DOT

The annual COSTHA (Council on Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles) conference was held in March, in Long Beach, CA, and featured Bob Richard, Deputy Associate Administrator, and Ryan Posten, Director, Office of HazMat Enforcement, both of US DOT PHMSA. Richard gave an upbeat and insightful look into the new approach that PHMSA is using to test and learn about packaging inconsistencies. This acquired knowledge will lead to new and more tailored regulations and technologies with an eye towards fixing current regulatory issues. Posten’s presentation focused on the new National Inspection and Focus Team, which now is comprised of 42 investigators in 5 regions around the US. Posten also discussed transportation issues and incidents related to lithium battery shipments and steps being taken to insure the safety of these shipments. Posten concluded his presentation claiming that “at PHMSA, it’s not just enforcement anymore – it’s an entire system.”