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Summary

The Office of Inspector General plans to initiate an audit on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) oversight of the Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Voluntary Disclosure Reporting Program (VDRP). HAZMAT air shipments can present serious safety risks, especially when the materials are unauthorized and undeclared. FAA’s HAZMAT VDRP provides an important opportunity to identify and mitigate safety risks by allowing air carriers to voluntarily disclose HAZMAT safety issues without fear of enforcement actions. Our audit objectives are to determine: (1) whether FAA ensures that air carriers’ disclosure reports meet program requirements, including implementation of effective corrective actions, and (2) whether FAA uses HAZMAT VDRP data to identify safety risks, including the risks from unauthorized, undeclared shipments.