FAA: Amazon Fine of $350,000 Possible After Hazardous Material Mishap

The FAA could fine Amazon for $350,000 after accusing the e-commerce giant of improperly shipping dangerous goods by air.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the proposed fine announced by the Federal Aviation Administration Monday comes from a 2014 incident in which nine United Parcel Service workers came in contact with a corrosive chemical that leaked through a shipping package. The employees suffered from a burning sensation and had to be treated with a chemical wash.

The package contained the product Amazing Liquid Fire and was being shipped from Louisville to Boulder, Colorado, according to a statement from the FAA.

"The FAA alleges the shipment was not properly packaged, was not accompanied by a shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods and was not properly marked or labeled to indicate the hazardous nature of its contents," said the FAA statement.

"Furthermore, the FAA alleges Amazon failed to provide emergency response information with the package, and that Amazon employees who handled the package had not received required hazardous materials training."

Amazon has 30 days from receipt of the FAA's enforcement letter to respond to the agency, according to the statement.

"Amazon has a history of violating the hazardous materials regulations," the FAA charged Amazon furthermore. "From February 2013 to September 2015 alone, Amazon was found to have violated the hazardous materials regulations 24 other times. The FAA is continuing to investigate Amazon's compliance with the hazardous materials regulations applicable to air transportation."

Amazon spokesman Kelly Cheeseman said, according to The Wall Street Journal, that the company takes air cargo safety "very seriously."

"We ship tens of millions of products every day and have developed sophisticated technologies to detect potential shipping hazards and use any defects as an opportunity for continuous improvement," an Amazon statement said, according to The Seattle Times. "We will continue to partner with the FAA in this area."

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