FAA ISSUES MORE HAZMAT PENALTIES
May 22, 2015
The FAA recently proposed civil penalties against three additional companies for alleged violations of the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR). In two of the cases – S. Vitale Pyrotechnic and Optisource – the FAA alleged that certain shipments were not accompanied by shipping papers to indicate the hazardous nature of their contents and were improperly marked, labeled or packed. The FAA further alleged that the affected companies failed to provide emergency response information and ensure their employees had received required training in packaging and shipping hazardous materials. The following penalties were issued:
- $170,000 against Optisource, for offering shipments containing ink remover and aerosol lens spray for shipment aboard a UPS aircraft. Both substances are flammable.
- $195,000 against S. Vitale Pyrotechic Industries, for offering a shipment containing four 20-gallon tanks containing propane for shipment aboard a Delta Air Lines passenger flight. Propane is a flammable gas, and FAA regulations prohibit propane from being transported on a passenger-carrying aircraft.
- $96,200 against FedEx Corp., for accepting three shipments containing methanol, printer ink and sodium hydroxide. The shipments were not prepared in accordance with the HMR. The shipments were improperly marked, and the printer ink drums did not meet the minimum specifications for containers used to transport this type of substance.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6622) or Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6665).