FAA Federal Aviation Administration : Proposes $91,000 Civil Penalty Against Amazon.com for Alleged Hazardous Materials Violations

January 12, 2017
Contact: Tony Molinaro
Phone: [phone]; Email: [e-mail]

WASHINGTON-The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes a $91,000 civil penalty against Amazon.com, Inc., for allegedly violating the Hazardous Materials Regulations.

The FAA alleges that on May 7, 2016, Amazon offered an undeclared hazardous material shipment to FedEx for air transportation from Hebron, Kentucky to Marshall, Minnesota.

The agency further alleges the shipment contained one 2.5 gallon plastic container of toxic Clear Diesel Fuel and Tank Cleaner, Concentrated Formula. Employees at FedEx's sort facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, discovered the shipment was leaking.

The FAA alleges that the shipment was not accompanied by a shipper's declaration for dangerous goods; was not properly marked, labeled or packaged; and was not in the proper condition for transportation. The FAA further alleges Amazon did not provide emergency response information with the shipment and failed to ensure its employees had received required hazardous materials training.

Since 2013, the FAA has assessed 22 civil penalties against Amazon totaling more than $1.4million.

Amazon has been in communication with the FAA about the case.