Flexing its muscle, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued an unprecedented proposed fine $3,876,000 against American Welding & Tank, LLC (AWT) of Fremont, Ohio for violating federal hazardous materials safety standards (HMRs).
The HMRs are written by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) a sister agency of FMCSA. The Government has alleged the company was in the business of manufacturing and selling unsafe nurse tanks – a type of cargo tank used to store and transport anhydrous ammonia, a hazardous material used in farming operations.
The Company may avail itself of legal counsel and has not been found guilty.