FAA PROPOSES FINE AGAINST DEERE & CO. FOR HAZMAT VIOLATIONS

FAA PROPOSES FINE AGAINST DEERE & CO. FOR HAZMAT VIOLATIONS    The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $72,000 civil penalty against Deere & Co., of Moline, Ill., for allegedly violating Department of Transportation hazardous material regulations.
   The FAA alleges that the company offered to UPS, for air transportation, a carton that contained a portable welder with a wet, non-spillable electric storage battery — a material the FAA claims is considered “a hazardous material.”
   The shipment was flown to Richmond, Va., from Denver, with a stopover in Louisville, Ky., on Feb. 26-27, 2001, according to the FAA. In Richmond, the shipment was transferred by ground to the UPS sort facility in Charlottesville, Va. En route, the UPS driver observed smoke coming from the truck’s trailer, the FAA said.
   FAA alleged that Deere & Co. offered the shipment of hazardous material when it was not properly classed, described, packaged, labeled, marked, or in the condition for shipment as required by regulations. The FAA also claimed that Deere & Co. failed to make emergency response information immediately available.
   The FAA said that Deere & Co. has 30 days to respond to the FAA civil penalty notice.