Lithium battery amendment debated in House

Lithium battery amendment debated in House    The Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill being debated by the House includes an amendment from Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., that would immediately halt all air shipments of primary lithium batteries and products until the Department of Transportation develops new regulations for their safe carriage.
   The DOT's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration proposed more than a year ago to eliminate exemptions for treating lithium batteries as full hazardous materials when included in an air shipment and limit stowage of lithium cell and battery shipments aboard planes to cargo compartments accessible to the crew or locations equipped with an FAA-approved fire suppression system, unless transported an in approved container.
   The Office of Management and Budget is conducting its own analysis of the economic impact of the rule, which has been universally condemned by industry groups as out of step with any evidence that properly packaged batteries have caused any airborne fires and that it would severely harm businesses and consumers who depend so heavily on the ubiquitous power packs found in cell phones and other devices. They say the United States should follow new international standards that tighten packaging and labeling requirements on lithium shipments.
   The National Association of Manufacturers sent a letter to House members saying Filner's amendment 'is excessive and will have considerable unintended consequences.'
   It asked lawmakers to oppose the amendment because it would place costly burdens on manufacturers and reduce air freight capacity.
   'While transportation safety is our first priority, imposing costly and unnecessary regulations that will only marginalize America's global competitiveness is not the answer,' NAM added.
   Rep. John Mica, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has language in the floor manager's amendment that would allow the DOT to bring U.S. regulations governing the air shipment of lithium batteries up to international standards.
   The House this week passed a 60-day funding extension for the FAA while it works on the long-term FAA reauthorization act, which has been extended 17 times over several years without any funding or policy reforms. ' Eric Kulisch