The Increasing Cost Of Hazmat Fines

About 60% of the hazardous materials transported within the United States, travels aboard commercial aircraft making almost every airplane a hazardous material transporter. Resulting from recent incidents involving negligent handling of these materials, the DOT and the FAA have significantly increased the fines levied for transport violations. As recently as this year, SabreTech, an aircraft maintenance company, was fined $2.25 million for improperly packaging dangerous goods aboard a Valuejet that crashed in 1996 and killed 110 people. Therefore, transport of hazardous materials should be closely monitored from the package selection process to filling and closure to selection of a transport carrier… do not presume that the least expensive option will also offer the least amount of risk! As the DOT increases their enforcement, you want to take precautions to insure risk-reduced shipments.