Investigations

MGC Trading Corporation of Miami, FL, was fined $3,000 by U.S. District Court judge in Miami for willfully delivering unlabeled flammable, corrosive, and poisonous chemicals. The firm pleaded guilty to the charge in June 2003. In June 2002, MGC, through a freight forwarder, offered nine separate packages to Lan Chile, a foreign air carrier, for air transportation to Peru. The packages were described in the air bill as general laboratory supplies. During handling at Lan Chile, one of the packages broke open, exposing its hazardous contents. Many of the bottles inside the box had hazmat labels affixed. MGC sells laboratory and medical supplies, including chemicals used in medical laboratory work, to hospitals and medical clinics throughout Latin America.