U.S. FAA ineffective to ensure compliance on hazardous materials: study

[Wireless News]

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.

More... (http://news.yahoo.com/u-faa-ineffective-ensure-compliance-hazardous-materials-study-175549162--finance.html)