Control of Sodium Permanganate as a List II Chemical

On March 1, 2005, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (70 FR 9889) which proposed the addition of sodium permanganate as a List II chemical because of its direct substitutability for potassium permanganate (a List II chemical) in the illicit production of cocaine. This rulemaking finalizes control of sodium permanganate. As a List II chemical, handlers of sodium permanganate shall be subject to Controlled Substances Act (CSA) chemical regulatory controls including recordkeeping, reporting, and import/export requirements. DEA has determined that these controls are necessary to prevent the diversion of this chemical to cocaine laboratories. This rulemaking is also establishing a cumulative threshold of 55 kilograms and 500 kilograms (respectively) for domestic and international transactions. As such, all transactions which meet or exceed these quantities (in a calendar month) shall be considered regulated transactions, subject to recordkeeping, reporting and/or import/export notification requirements. Additionally, as a result of this rulemaking, chemical mixtures having greater than 15 percent sodium permanganate shall be subject to CSA chemical regulatory control provisions. All handlers of the List II chemical sodium permanganate shall also be subject to the applicable civil and criminal penalty provisions found in 21 U.S.C. 841, 842, 843, 959 and 960.