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Congressional authorization and funding for the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program is once again nearing expiration. That means there will almost certainly be a new authorizing law carrying a fresh set of program amendments. While there is no meaningful opposition to the CFATS as a whole, there is also […]
In a ruling that helps downwind states with areas in nonattainment with the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit declined to vacate the EPA’s 2016 rule to update its Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR). However, the court did remand one […]
On September 30, OSHA withdrew its proposal to revoke the ancillary provisions of the construction and shipyard beryllium standards. The permissible exposure limit (PEL) and short-term exposure limit (STEL) already have gone into effect, and the agency will implement the other provisions of the January 9, 2017, final rule, which will become effective September 30, […]
Eugene Scalia’s confirmation as the next secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is expected to kick-start more rollbacks of Obama-era policies and usher in a more solidly pro-business era, according to attorneys who represent employers.
Marijuana—or “cannabis” as the emerging industry likes to call it—is big business. It employs 5 times more Americans than the coal industry, according to one cannabis industry analyst. There are medical marijuana statutes in 34 states and the District of Columbia. Ten states and D.C. so far also have approved it for recreational use, and […]
Effective 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register, the EPA/Army Corps of Engineers’ (EPA/Corps) final rule repealing the Obama administration’s 2015 Clean Water Rule formally concludes Step 1, the first of two steps to ensure that the states exercise majority control over their water resources. The final rule removes the complex definition of […]
In a recent “final action”, the EPA announced that it will not “at this time” promulgate new regulations to prevent spills of hazardous substances (HSs) under Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 311.
Among the actions President Donald Trump has taken to reform the issuance of federal regulations, none exceed Executive Order (EO) 13771, Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs (January 30, 2017) in originality. That action stipulated that for every new regulation, the issuing federal agency must identify at least two prior regulations for repeal, replacement, or […]
The EPA is proposing to provide additional lead time for boat builders to meet the federal Tier 4 standards for engines used in vessels such as lobster fishing boats and pilot boats.
Seven years after the Obama administration issued major amendments to Clean Air Act (CAA) New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) affecting the oil and gas (O&G) sector and 3 years after it issued another set of amendments, the EPA is proposing to rescind substantial parts of both actions. First, the Agency wants to remove O&G storage […]