ATLANTA, Ga. – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a $91,000 civil penalty against VT Milcom, Inc. of Virginia Beach, Va., for allegedly violating U.S. Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials Regulations.
The FAA alleges that on July 17, 2013, VT Milcom shipped two, one-gallon metal containers of paint on a FedEx aircraft from Virginia Beach, Va., to Jacksonville, N.C. Workers at FedEx’s sorting facility in New Bern, N.C, discovered that leaking paint had soaked through the shipping boxes. Paint is considered to be a Hazard Class 3 Flammable Liquid.
Investigators determined the shipment was not accompanied by shipping papers to indicate the hazardous nature of its contents and was not marked, labeled or packed in accordance with the Hazardous Materials Regulations. The box also was not packed to prevent the containers from breaking or leaking. Finally, the package failed to protect against a release of hazardous material into the environment under normal transportation conditions.
The FAA also alleges VT Milcom offered the shipment without providing emergency response information, and failed to ensure that the employee preparing the shipment did so under the direct supervision of a properly trained hazmat employee.
VT Milcom has requested an informal conference with the FAA to discuss the case.
