U.S. FAA ineffective to ensure compliance on hazardous materials: study
By David Morgan WASHINGTON (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. In 65 percent of hazardous material cases, OIG investigators found that the FAA did not obtain sufficient evidence to ensure that carriers fixed reported problems. The agency also has not sought to identify safety risks or trends involving hazardous materials and lacks the clarity to determine how carriers should meet the requirements. "FAA does not have an adequate framework to carry out the (regulations) effectively," the 20-page report concluded. The inspector general's office said FAA officials agreed with nearly all of its recommendations. In a two-page FAA memo included with the report, the agency also said it has recently implemented strong internal controls to oversee compliance. "This is a significant enhancement in the level of oversight and addresses many of the findings of this audit," the memo said. From 1991 to 2014, the OIG report said that lithium batteries were involved in over 70 aircraft incidents that involved extreme heat, smoke, fire or explosion in air cargo and passenger baggage. In 2010, a United Parcel Service Boeing 747-400 aircraft caught fire and crashed in Dubai, killing both pilots. The final accident report said the cause may have been improperly declared lithium batteries and other combustible materials, according to OIG investigators. (Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Bernard Orr)
