FAA Proposes $170,000 Civil Penalty Against Optisource International for Alleged Hazardous Materials Violations

NEW YORK – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes a $170,000 civil penalty against Optisource International of Bellport, N.Y., for allegedly violating Hazardous Materials Regulations.

The FAA alleges that Optisource offered three undeclared shipments of hazardous materials to UPS on March 18 and 19, 2013 for transportation by air to Puerto Rico and Canada. The Puerto Rico shipment comprised six boxes that each contained 16 ounces of ink remover, which is a flammable liquid. One of the shipments to Canada contained eight 16-ounce bottles of the ink remover and the other shipment was a container of flammable aerosol lens spray.

The FAA alleges the shipments were not accompanied by shipping papers to indicate the hazardous nature of their contents and were not marked or labeled in accordance with the Hazardous Materials Regulations. The FAA also alleges the company failed to provide emergency response information with the shipments and to ensure its employees had received required hazardous materials training.

Optisource has 30 days from receipt of the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the Agency.