Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Amazon Faces $350,000 Fine From FAA Over Dangerous Shipment

Seattle-based Amazon.com is facing a $350,000 fine for violating the FAA's Hazardous Materials rules, after a spill of a hazardous chemical from one of its shipments in 2014. According to the FAA, a package containing a corrosive drain cleaner was transported by air from Louisville, Ky, to Boulder, Colorado, and spilled in transit, and resulted in some of that drain cleaner leaking from a fiberboard box. The FAA said that nine, UPS employees came into contact with that drain cleaner, requiring a chemical wash. The FAA said that Amazon has a "history of violating the Hazardous Materials" regulations, and claimed that from February 2013 to September 2015, it found Amazon violated the Hazardous Materials Regulations 24 other times. The fine appears to be an effort by the FAA to force Amazon to better police shipments of products offered through the company's website.