FAA proposes $140,000 penalty for undeclared cargo by K-Mart

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently proposed a $140,000.00 civil penalty against K-Mart, Inc. for allegedly offering two packages to UPS for transportation by air of undeclared hazardous materials (or dangerous goods). The packages were not marked, classified or labeled in accordance with the regulations for transporting hazmat by aircraft.

The packages contained nail polish (classified as paint, a flammable liquid) and aerosol sun block (a flammable gas).

To read the full story, please go to the FAA's website for the official press release.

Increased regulations expected for lithium batteries after UPS cargo plane crash in Dubai

The Wall Street Journal reports a United Parcel Service (UPS) cargo plane crashed in Dubai earlier this month, after an apparent cargo fire involving lithium batteries resulted onboard. This urged federal officials to tighten the restrictions on the transportation of lithium batteries even further.

Lithium batteries are used in a variety of electronic devices, ranging from cell phones to camcorders to laptops, cordless devices and more. The increased restrictions would affect most U.S. cargo carriers and could battery manufacturers and distributors to change the way they package and document shipments of lithium batteries.

Both pilots of the plane died in the crash, which prompted officials to revisit the debate over the fire hazards of lithium batteries. These batteries can burn intensely and can be extremely difficult to extinguish once on fire.

To read the full article, please visit the Wall Street Journal's website.