Hazardous Shipping

1.Read the following descriptions to identify the type of hazard:

2. See Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Overview to specifically identify your shipment.

To read the regulations concerning the transport of hazardous, diagnostic/ biological specimines, and infectious substance, see:

• International Air Transportation Association (IATA), Dangerous Goods Information Online
• U.S. Department of Transportation's detailed Hazardous Material Table
• U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, 49 CFR Regulations 172.704 and 173.134 

Definition: A shipment importing, domestic transfers, or exporting, of biological materials may require permits from: 

• Center for Disease Control (CDC), 
• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA),
•  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), 
• Department of Commerce (contact Export Control) 
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)

The State of California may require additional permits for the importation of biological materials, for example from the: 

• California Department of Food and Agriculture for plant pests
• the California Department of Public Health or California Department of Fish and Wildlife for importation of wild animals.

Note: the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is a distinct entity from FWS, and is also responsible for issuing additional in-state permits, including those for plant sampling and scientific collection. If you are proposing field research and are unsure if you need a permit, please reach out to EHSBIO@UCSD.EDU or iacuc@ucsd.edu.

Importing or Domestic Transfer Responsibilities

With shipping biological materials comes the responsibility to:

To help navigate the various permitting requirements for applicable regulatory agencies, here are some available resources:

• CDC Import Permit Program (IPP) tool
• USDA/APHIS guidelines for ePermits
• USDA/APHIS guidelines for Animal Products That Do Not Require An Import Permit
• S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Even if you think your material may be exempt from permitting requirements, please contact EHS Biosafety for assistance. 

Biological Materials Which Require a Permit

CDC Import Permits may be required for:

• Infectious biological agents and Infectious substance
• Vector - Any animals (vertebrate or invertebrate) or any noninfectious self-replicating system (e.g., plasmids or other molecular vector) or animal products that are known to transfer or are capable of transferring an infectious biological agent to a human.
• Animals (species known or capable of transferring infectious agents) andAnimal products (including hide, hair, skull, teeth, bones, or claws) from species known or capable of transferring infectious agents
• Arthropods known to be capable of causing or vectoring human disease
• Snails – Any freshwater snails (phylum Mollusca, class Gastropoda) capable of transmitting schistosomiasis.
• Non-human primate or bat material (including diagnostic specimens)

USDA/APHIS permits may be required for interstate transport and import of:

• All cultures or collections of organisms which may introduce or disseminate any contagious or infectious disease of livestock and poultry and their derivatives (DNA/ RNA, recombinants, inactivated/ attenuated).
• Pathogens that can initiate or disseminate disease in livestock and poultry
• Vectors that can serve as the carrier of or have been exposed to an infectious disease of livestock or poultry
• Animal specimens from animals infected with pathogens or exposed to pathogens or vectors
• Cell cultures exposed to organisms that cause disease in livestock or poultry
• Human viruses and human vaccines intended for research use in livestock or poultry.
• Attenuated live viruses and vaccine strains
• Veterinary biologics (vaccines, bacterins, antisera, diagnostic kits, other products of biological origin, specifically those derived from USDA-covered species
• Fish pathogens
• Regulated plants and plant products for consumption or propagation
• Plants for planting such as nursery stock, small lots of seed, and post-entry
• Plant products such as fruits and vegetable, timber, cotton and cut flowers
• Protected plants and plant products such as orchids, and threatened and endangered plant species
• Prohibited plant materials for research
• Additional regulated materials including soil
• Material which could be potentially injurious to livestock or agriculture in case of environmental release

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) issues permits under a variety of wildlife laws and international treaties to which the United States adheres. These include (but are not limited to):

• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
  • Regulated animal species or animal parts derived from those species (including diagnostic specimens such as serum, tissue, and urine)
  • Regulated plant species or plant parts derived from those species
  • A comprehensive list of species covered under CITES can be found in the CITES appendices
• Endangered Species Act
  • Scientific research and enhancement activities, including import/export of all listed species and incidental take
• Lacey Act
  • Import, transport, and acquisition of all exotic, injurious (harmful), or potentially injurious wildlife in the U.S.
• Marine Mammal Protection Act
  • Species and materials derived from marine mammal populations and their ecosystems (including bones and carcasses)
• Migratory Bird Treaty Act
  • Import and export of more than 1007 species of migratory birds, bird parts, nests, eggs, and products (including study skins and feathers)
  • Note: permits are often also required for scientific collection of migratory birds (including banding and marking)

FWS may issue permits for import, interstate transport, or acquisition of a variety of wild plant and animal species, or parts derived thereof. Permitting requirements apply even in the case of species and samples being used for scientific research.

Apply for Permits

EH&S Biosafety Program is here to help you in every step of the application and permitting process. Part of our services are to offer support in working with these federal agencies. 

Here is a flow chart overview of the permitting process. 

All permit applications must be submitted under the name of the Principal Investigator.

Permit applications for either CDC or UDSA/ APHIS may also include a site inspection and interview from the agency prior to approving the permit. If a site visit is requested, contact EHS Biosafety to assist with the site visit process. After completion of a site visit, the permitting agency will decide to issue a permit pending any identified corrective actions or conditions of approval.

All permits obtained by UCSD researchers should be submitted to the IBC by sending to ehsbio@ucsd.edu. The permit will be attached to the applicable BUA.

CDC Import permit application process:

If your material requires a CDC permit for importation, visit the  CDC Import Permit Program website and complete the  Permit to Import Biological Agents or Vectors of Human Disease or the  Permit to Import or Transport Live Bats.

The permit must be requested under the name of the Principal Investigator. Additional contact information provided in the application should be for personnel in the laboratory who are responsible for the material, and can answer pertinent questions about the material being shipped, from the CDC Import Permit Program, Customs and Border Protection agents, or the shipping company.

USDA/ APHIS Import or Domestic Transfer permit application process :

If your material requires an USDA/ APHIS permit, visit the  USDA/ APHIS Permits and Certification website and start the application using ePermits. ePermits is a web-based system that allows users to submit import /interstate movement/ transit/ release permit applications, track applications, apply for renewals and amendments, and receive copies of their permits.

The permit must be requested under the name of the Principal Investigator. Additional contact information provided in the application should be for personnel in the laboratory who are responsible for the material, and can answer pertinent questions about the material being shipped by USDA/ APHIS, Customs and Border Protection agents, or the shipping company.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) Import or Domestic Transfer permit application process :

If your material requires an FWS permit, visit the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service website for further instructions for obtaining the appropriate permit. Some examples of types of permits which are issued by FWS are listed below in the chart.

The permit must be requested under the name of the Principal Investigator. Additional contact information provided in the application should be for personnel in the laboratory who are responsible for the material, and can answer pertinent questions about the material being shipped by FWS, Customs and Border Protection agents, or the shipping company.

Types of Permits

This chart lists some types of permits which may be required to conduct your research. Please note this list is not comprehensive and is geared towards the types of permits more commonly encountered by researchers.

Shipping Materials with a Permit

Once you have received your permit, the permit must be sent with the shipping documents as well as a copy kept with the shipper/receiver. Follow all restrictions or permit conditions listed in the permit. Remember that all accompanying paperwork including permits must be attached to the outside of the package so that it may be reviewed by customs and transportation officials.

UCSD strictly conforms to government regulations when transporting hazardous materials. All outbound shipments of infectious substances, diagnostic specimens, and other hazardous or biological materials must be processed by Logistics.

Warning: Failure to comply with international and federal transportation regulations when shipping hazardous materials can result in civil penalties of $78,376 per occurrence, and additional criminal penalties may include up to 10 years of imprisonment  (49CFR 107.329-107.333).

It is important to insure your shipment:

• To determine your insurance needs and obtain insurance, see Transit Insurance.
• If you will need underwritten insurance, obtain required approval before proceeding further.

Note: Domestic shipments valued under $100,000 are automatically insured if you can verify the shipment value. See Transit Insurance for details.

1. To complete the form, go to the Logistics Portal (VPN Required)
2. All hazardous materials shipments require the following information on the Shipping Memo under "Description of Contents":
   • Proper name of hazardous material
   • Weight in grams/ capacity in liters
   • Value of item(s)
   • Purpose of shipment
   • Departure date and needed destination date
   • Type of service requested (e.g., air, ocean)
     • Hazardous materials contained in or with equipment, require this additional information:
       • Name of equipment
       • Location of manufacturer (United States, Japan, etc.)
     • Hazardous materials being shipped outside the United States require this additional information:
       • Country/ countries it is being shipped to
       • If your shipment will be returned to the United States, list the approximate date.
       • International shipments require the following anti-diversion statement on the Logistics Request Form: "These commodities, technology, or software were exported from the United States in accordance with the Export Administration Regulations. Diversion contrary to U.S. law is prohibited."
       • Note:If your international shipment consists of multiple packages, complete an International Shipment Summary and attach it to the Logistics Request Form. Also follow step 2(d), below.

3. If your shipment consists of multiple packages:
   • Mark each package with running-total numbers such as "1 of 3".
   • List each package number on the Logistics Request Form.
   • List the contents of each package separately.
4. Your Logistics Request Form is your pickup request.
5. Shipping will assist you if additional documentation is required. Some items may require that you fax a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) to the Shipping Coordinator.
6. You will then receive an e-mail with the required packing instructions and a pickup day/time confirmation. 

Note: Logistics will pick up dry ice and priority hazardous materials by 10:00am the day after you submit your Logistics Request Form and will ship out that same day.

1. Call Logistics at (858) 534-5737 to confirm receipt of the Logistics Request Form. This is your responsibility.
2. Provide Logistics with the following information to fill out hazardous material transport documents:
   • What is the hazardous material?
   • How is it packaged?
   • What is the proper shipping name?
   • What is the weight in grams/ capacity in liters?

Logsistics will assist you if additional documentation is required. Some items may require that you fax a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) to the Shipping Coordinator.

1. Follow the instructions given by the Logistics Shipping Coordinator.
2. Print out a copy of the bar coded Logistics Request Form and have it with your package for the hazmat driver when they arrive. Logistics may not be able to pick up your package if the Logistic Request Form with the bar code is not with the package for liability and chain of custody reasons.

The driver will place all proper documents, labels and markings required for transport on your package and deliver it to the Logistics Shipping Coordinator.