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The EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a press statement on September 13, 2022, announcing it will begin an investigation into the Jackson, Mississippi, severe water crisis. The city’s water system has been plagued with issues for years, having been the subject of many EPA enforcement actions, including emergency orders and notices of noncompliance. […]
On September 16, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a request for comments on its electronic logging device (ELD) regulations for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) (87 Federal Register (FR) 56921). In an advance notice of proposed rulemaking, the agency revealed it is considering changes in the applicability for pre-2000 engines, addressing ELD malfunctions, […]
The EPA’s proposed rulemaking to designate two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), including their salts and structural isomers—as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) hit a snag after its Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review. The review identified the proposal as “economically […]
On September 20, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the postponement of a stakeholder meeting on possible changes to the agency’s process safety management (PSM) standard (87 Federal Register (FR) 57520). The meeting, which was originally scheduled for September 28, will be held October 12. Written comments must be submitted by November 14. […]
On August 31, 2022, the EPA published proposed amendments to its Clean Air Act (CAA) Risk Management Program in the Federal Register. The proposed revisions include changes to the accident prevention program requirements, enhancements to the emergency preparedness requirements, increased public availability of chemical hazard information, and changes/points of clarification to certain regulatory definitions. These […]
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced approval of its Advanced Clean Cars II (ACCII) rule on August 25, 2022. The rule establishes a year-by-year road map so that by 2035, 100% of new cars and light trucks sold in California will be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The regulation realizes […]
On September 15, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced an expansion of its Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP). The program’s new criteria include violations of all hazards and OSHA standards and will continue to focus on repeat offenders in all industries. Under the agency’s 2010 policy, an employer could be placed in the […]
On August 22, 2022, the EPA announced Smith Frozen Foods Inc. of Weston, Oregon, agreed to pay a $100,000 fine for Clean Air Act (CAA) violations. During a 2016 inspection, the EPA found the company failed to maintain and implement its required Risk Management Plan (RMP) when using and storing anhydrous ammonia, which is used […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it will host the Colorado Trench Safety Summit October 5 in Brighton, Colorado, with the North American Excavation Shoring Association (NAXSA) in a joint effort to stem a rise in the number of trenching fatalities in the state. Since early 2021, 7 trenching-related fatalities have been reported […]
The construction industry fall protection standard remains the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) most frequently cited standard for the 12th year in a row, the agency announced on September 20. Patrick Kapust, acting director of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, presented a list of preliminary figures for fiscal year (FY) 2022—the fiscal year ends September […]