Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§11043 Provision of Information to Health Professionals, Doctors, and Nurses

Title 42 › CHAPTER 116 — EMERGENCY PLANNING AND COMMUNITY RIGHT-TO-KNOW › SUBCHAPTER III — GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 11043

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

Owners or operators of facilities that keep hazardous, extremely hazardous, or toxic chemicals must give the exact chemical name to health professionals when that information is needed for health reasons. A doctor, nurse, or other health professional must give a written request, a short written statement saying they reasonably believe someone was exposed and that the chemical identity will help diagnose or treat the person, and a written confidentiality agreement. The facility must promptly provide the information. If the chemical identity is a trade secret, that claim does not stop the facility from giving the information, but confidentiality rules still apply. In a medical emergency, a treating physician or nurse can get safety data sheets, inventory lists, or release forms with the chemical identity right away if they determine an emergency exists, the identity is needed to help in treatment or first aid, and exposure occurred; no prior written forms are required, though a confidentiality agreement and a short statement can be asked for as soon as possible. Local government health workers or contractors can also get chemical identities by written request and a statement of need that explains uses like checking community exposure, sampling, medical surveillance, treatment, or health studies, plus a confidentiality agreement. The federal administrator had to issue rules about the needed statements and confidentiality agreements as soon as practicable after October 17, 1986.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §11043

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Diagnosis or treatment by health professional

An owner or operator of a facility which is subject to the requirements of section 11021, 11022, or 11023 of this title shall provide the specific chemical identity, if known, of a hazardous chemical, extremely hazardous substance, or a toxic chemical to any health professional who requests such information in writing if the health professional provides a written statement of need under this subsection and a written confidentiality agreement under subsection (d). The written statement of need shall be a statement that the health professional has a reasonable basis to suspect that—

(1)the information is needed for purposes of diagnosis or treatment of an individual,

(2)the individual or individuals being diagnosed or treated have been exposed to the chemical concerned, and

(3)knowledge of the specific chemical identity of such chemical will assist in diagnosis or treatment.

Following such a written request, the owner or operator to whom such request is made shall promptly provide the requested information to the health professional. The authority to withhold the specific chemical identity of a chemical under section 11042 of this title when such information is a trade secret shall not apply to information required to be provided under this subsection, subject to the provisions of subsection (d).

(b)Medical emergency

An owner or operator of a facility which is subject to the requirements of section 11021, 11022, or 11023 of this title shall provide a copy of a material safety data sheet, an inventory form, or a toxic chemical release form, including the specific chemical identity, if known, of a hazardous chemical, extremely hazardous substance, or a toxic chemical, to any treating physician or nurse who requests such information if such physician or nurse determines that—

(1)a medical emergency exists,

(2)the specific chemical identity of the chemical concerned is necessary for or will assist in emergency or first-aid diagnosis or treatment, and

(3)the individual or individuals being diagnosed or treated have been exposed to the chemical concerned.

Immediately following such a request, the owner or operator to whom such request is made shall provide the requested information to the physician or nurse. The authority to withhold the specific chemical identity of a chemical from a material safety data sheet, an inventory form, or a toxic chemical release form under section 11042 of this title when such information is a trade secret shall not apply to information required to be provided to a treating physician or nurse under this subsection. No written confidentiality agreement or statement of need shall be required as a precondition of such disclosure, but the owner or operator disclosing such information may require a written confidentiality agreement in accordance with subsection (d) and a statement setting forth the items listed in paragraphs (1) through (3) as soon as circumstances permit.

(c)Preventive measures by local health professionals

(1)Provision of information

An owner or operator of a facility subject to the requirements of section 11021, 11022, or 11023 of this title shall provide the specific chemical identity, if known, of a hazardous chemical, an extremely hazardous substance, or a toxic chemical to any health professional (such as a physician, toxicologist, or epidemiologist)—

(A)who is a local government employee or a person under contract with the local government, and

(B)who requests such information in writing and provides a written statement of need under paragraph (2) and a written confidentiality agreement under subsection (d).

Following such a written request, the owner or operator to whom such request is made shall promptly provide the requested information to the local health professional. The authority to withhold the specific chemical identity of a chemical under section 11042 of this title when such information is a trade secret shall not apply to information required to be provided under this subsection, subject to the provisions of subsection (d).

(2)Written statement of need

The written statement of need shall be a statement that describes with reasonable detail one or more of the following health needs for the information:

(A)To assess exposure of persons living in a local community to the hazards of the chemical concerned.

(B)To conduct or assess sampling to determine exposure levels of various population groups.

(C)To conduct periodic medical surveillance of exposed population groups.

(D)To provide medical treatment to exposed individuals or population groups.

(E)To conduct studies to determine the health effects of exposure.

(F)To conduct studies to aid in the identification of a chemical that may reasonably be anticipated to cause an observed health effect.

(d)Confidentiality agreement

Any person obtaining information under subsection (a) or (c) shall, in accordance with such subsection (a) or (c), be required to agree in a written confidentiality agreement that he will not use the information for any purpose other than the health needs asserted in the statement of need, except as may otherwise be authorized by the terms of the agreement or by the person providing such information. Nothing in this subsection shall preclude the parties to a confidentiality agreement from pursuing any remedies to the extent permitted by law.

(e)Regulations

As soon as practicable after October 17, 1986, the Administrator shall promulgate regulations describing criteria and parameters for the statement of need under subsection (a) and (c) and the confidentiality agreement under subsection (d).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 11043

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110