Category: Regulatory Developments

Are You Up to Date on the Requirements for Shipping Lithium Batteries?

Confused? It’s not surprising considering that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has revised its hazardous material regulations (HMRs) for shipping lithium cells and batteries several times over the past 2 years. The DOT has added Proper Shipping Names and Identification Numbers to the Hazardous Materials Table (HMT) and revised packaging, including labeling, requirements for […]

First Year Implementation Plan for TSCA Unveiled

The recently enacted sweeping revisions to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) have been decades in the making, but the EPA needed to begin implementing the changes even before the ink of President Obama’s signature dried. Accordingly, just 1 week after enactment, the Agency released its First Year Implementation Plan for the new law, including […]

Video: OSHA’s Respirable Crystalline Silica Rule

OSHA finalized its rule on respirable crystalline silica in March, with phased-in compliance dates beginning in 2017. See BLR Legal Editor Ana Ellington discuss some background information on silica, the exposure and health risks associated with silica, workers and industries affected by the new rule, and specific provisions of the new silica rules.

New PIPES Law Lights Fire under PHMSA

On June 22, 2016, President Obama signed the Protecting Our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety Act (PIPES Act). The law, which received strong bipartisan support, extends and funds through 2019 the gas and hazardous liquid pipeline safety program implemented by the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

TSCA Reform: A Simple 5-point Summary of What You Need to Know

After 40 years, the Toxics Substances Control Act (TSCA) has been reformed in an effort to more effectively manage chemicals in this country and give EPA more authority to evaluate and mitigate the associated risks. This infographic summarizes the important points of TSCA reform.

OSHA Reveals Ambitious Plans in Latest Regulatory Agenda

Although a new occupant in the White House will likely lead to changes at the Department of Labor, OSHA’s latest regulatory agenda suggests the safety agency is not in lame duck mode. Keep reading to find out what rulemakings are on the front burner and what it means for you.

Proposal Would Drop Rescission Date from PSD Permitting

Referencing an opinion by the U.S. Supreme Court, the EPA is proposing to remove a restriction on when a Clean Air Act (CAA) Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit may be rescinded. Specifically, the proposal would remove from 40 CFR 52.21(w) the provision indicating that a stationary source may request to have its PSD permit […]

Will WOTUS Rule Affect Nationwide Permits?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is proposing to renew its 50 existing nationwide permits (NWPs) and to add two new NWPs. The existing permits expire March 18, 2017, and the Corps wishes to have the reissued permits effective immediately after expiration.

President Obama Signs TSCA Reform Bill into Law

“For the first time in 20 years, we are updating a national environmental statute,” said President Obama before signing the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act on Wednesday. The president noted that the updated law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which took effect in 1976 “didn’t quite work the way […]

Zero Pretreatment Effluent Limits for O&G Fracking

There should be little difficulty understanding the pollutant effluent limits in the EPA’s final pretreatment standards for onshore unconventional oil and gas (UOG) extraction facilities because the limits are zero. The pertinent addition to the Code of Federal Regulations is as follows: