(Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lacks the skills to ensure that U.S. air carriers comply with rules governing the safe transport of hazardous materials including lithium batteries, a government watchdog said on Tuesday.
A report released by the U.S. Transportation Department Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that the FAA lacks the training and guidance necessary to enforce Bush-era regulations that allow carriers to disclose hazardous material violations voluntarily, without incurring civil penalties.
The OIG report surfaced a week after aircraft maker Boeing Co said that high-density packages of lithium batteries, like those used in cell phones and laptops, should not be carried on passenger planes because they pose fire risks.
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