On August 12, 2025, Alaska Marine Lines, which operates barge services to Hawaii and Alaska, announced that it will no longer ship electric vehicles (EVs) or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) on its vessels. The prohibition on EVs and PHEVs took effect immediately for barges to Hawaii, Central Alaska, and Western Alaska, and took effect on September 1 for barges to Southeast Alaska. The company attributed the change to “the increased complexity and fire risk associated with shipping large lithium-ion batteries on vessels at sea.” EV fires pose unique difficulty for firefighters, ranging from the difficulty of extinguishing the fire to the gases released. The announcement comes about two months after a cargo ship carrying thousands of new vehicles, including EVs and PHEVs, caught fire off the coast of Alaska and burned for weeks before eventually sinking.Continue Reading Alaskan and Hawaiian Barges Will No Longer Carry EVs Due to Concerns Regarding Fires
Senate Confirms DOT Leadership Positions, Including NHTSA Administrator
Last Thursday, the Senate confirmed three of President Trump’s picks for Department of Transportation (DOT) administrator positions:
- Jonathan Morrison, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
- Sean McMaster, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
- Paul Roberti, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)
The confirmations were considered “en bloc,” meaning that the administrators, along with 45 of President
Federal PFAS Reporting Delayed, but Aerospace and Car-Part Companies are not Off-the-Hook
EPA recently published an interim final rule delaying by nine months the time for manufacturers and importers of products containing perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to report to EPA on their past activities. EPA’s PFAS reporting rule requires anyone who manufactured (including imported) any PFAS compound, or who imported any article containing a PFAS compound, at any time between 2011 and 2022, to submit detailed information regarding those past activities. The rule published on May 13, 2025, postpones the start of the reporting period from July 11, 2025, to April 13, 2026. Reporting must now be completed by October 13, 2026, for most manufacturers and by April 13, 2027, for small manufacturers reporting exclusively as article importers.Continue Reading Federal PFAS Reporting Delayed, but Aerospace and Car-Part Companies are not Off-the-Hook
Mailing Hazardous Materials? Check the Updated USPS Requirements.
USPS recently announced new packaging requirements for hazardous materials (HAZMAT) or dangerous goods (DG) sent through the mail. USPS regulates HAZMAT that flow through the US mail, and such requirements do not always align with the HAZMAT regulations (HMR) adopted by the Department of Transportation and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.Continue Reading Mailing Hazardous Materials? Check the Updated USPS Requirements.
DOT Announces Adjusted Civil Penalty Amounts
On December 30, the Department of Transportation announced 2025 updated civil penalty amounts for the following agencies:
- Office of the Secretary (OST)
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
- Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)
- Maritime Administration (MARAD)
- Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS)
Continue Reading DOT Announces Adjusted Civil Penalty Amounts