The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Office of Diversion Control sponsored the 10th Chemical Industry Conference, September 17 - 18, 2008, in Atlanta, Georgia. Participants included approximately 65 representatives from 47 List I chemical registrants. This conference is held on a biannual basis and is one of the mechanisms used by the Office of Diversion Control to encourage communication and cooperation between DEA and the chemical registrant community.

In addition to the topics listed below, conference members discussed existing Federal regulations, clarification of DEA policies, and the development of initiatives to reduce the diversion of List I and II chemicals.

PRESENTATIONS

• Dangers of Methamphetamine, 
  Scott Masumoto, DEA, Synthetic Drugs & Chemicals Section
• Domestic & International Perspective,
  Scott Masumoto, DEA, Synthetic Drugs & Chemicals Section
• Chemical Quotas,
  Susan Carr, DEA, Drug & Chemical Evaluation Section
• Chemical Control Actions,
  Liqun Wong, DEA, Drug & Chemical Evaluation Section
• CMEA Laws & Regulations Update,
  Mark Caverly, DEA, Liaison & Policy Section
• Import/Export Issues,
  Mark Via, DEA, Regulatory Section
• Importing Regulated Chemicals,
  Cheryl Townsend, U.S. Customs & Border Protection
• DEA Legal Issues,
  Linden Barber, DEA, Office of Chief Counsel
• Chemical Registration Issues,
  Rick Boyd, DEA, Registration & Program Support Section
• Industry Best Practices Panel,
  Ted Cromwell, American Chemistry Council; Claudia Elias, BASF Corporation; Gary Hallen, Eastman Chemical Company; & Cheryl Luckhaupt, Procter & Gamble Company

CONFERENCE REPORT

The conference opened with a welcome by Larry Lockhart, Acting Diversion Program Manager (DPM), Atlanta Division. Acting DPM Lockhart provided a brief overview of the chemical situation within the Atlanta Division.

Denise Curry, Deputy Director, DEA, Office of Diversion Control, presented introductory comments and outlined the objectives for the 10^th Chemical Industry Conference noting specifically that diversion and drug abuse issues have magnified and will continue to be a matter of public health and safety.

The presentations given throughout the conference highlighted the initiatives the Office of Diversion Control has undertaken since the last conference (October 31, 2006 in Louisville, KY). The presentations are briefly summarized below.

Scott Masumoto, Acting Section Chief, Synthetic Drugs and Chemicals Section, DEA, provided a brief overview of methamphetamine effects, clandestine labs and dangers, methamphetamine production methods, and the current situation.

Scott Masumoto, Acting Section Chief, Synthetic Drugs and Chemicals Section, DEA, provided a brief overview of domestic and international efforts to combat methamphetamine production and the controls placed on related chemicals.

Susan Carr, Deputy Section Chief, Drug and Chemical Evaluation Section, DEA, discussed the production of methamphetamine and the scheduled listed chemical products used in this process. Ms. Carr described DEA requirements under the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act (CMEA) including the newly-established assessment of annual need and individual company manufacturing and procurement quotas for ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine.

Liqun Wong, Chemist, Drug & Chemical Evaluation Section, DEA, provided information on recent chemical control actions. Data was presented on fentanyl and fentanyl precursor chemicals, N-Phenethyl-4-piperidone (NPP) and 4-anilino-N-phenethyl-4-piperidine (ANPP). The diversion and recent controls regarding iodine were also discussed.

Mark Via, Technical Information Specialist, Regulatory Section, DEA, discussed the DEA Form 486 (Import/Export Declaration). He provided statistical information as well as best practices for executing, amending, and supplying return information.

Cheryl Townsend, U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP), provided an overview of CBP’s strategy, the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, and how to classify chemicals.

Scott Masumoto, Synthetic Drugs & Chemicals Section; Mark Caverly, Liaison & Policy Section; Susan Carr, Drug & Chemical Evaluation Section; Mark Via, Regulatory Section; and Linden Barber, Office of Chief Counsel, responded to questions and concerns posed by conference participants.

Special Agent Robert Bowe, DEA Newark, presented information from a recent port project coordinated with U.S. Customs & Border Protection.

Diversion Investigator Thomas Popowich, DEA Newark, discussed chemical cases conducted by DEA Newark against chemical registrants.