Sources: Environmental Protection Agency; CP staff
EPA has moved to establish consistent requirements for guidance document issuance. Officials envision a formal petition process for the public to request that the agency modify or withdraw such documents, and keep them accessible and transparent to the public.
Read MoreSources: Federal Highway Administration; CP staff
Effective October 28, Federal Highway Administration is lifting U.S. Department of Transportation regulations greatly limiting state contracting agencies from using federal dollars to acquire patented or proprietary materials, products or services for road and bridge work.
Read MoreSource: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Alexandria, Va.
NRMCA Compliance & Operations staff calls the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers’ full withdrawal of the Obama Administration’s Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule “another win for the concrete industry” and “a welcome step toward finalizing a balanced, consistent and clear regulatory scheme for determining federal jurisdiction” over natural resources.
Read MoreSource: Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Ahead of a prospective rulemaking to revise standards nearing their 50-year mark, OSHA is requesting information on the types, age, and usage of powered industrial trucks; vehicle maintenance and retrofitting; how to regulate older powered industrial trucks; types of accidents and injuries associated with operating such machines; plus, costs and benefits of retrofitting the machines with safety features. The agency adopted a powered industrial truck standard, now categorized CFR 1910.178, in 1971 and used an American National Standards Institute document issued two years prior as the basis.
Read MoreSource: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Citing calls from Congress and the public following the December 2017 electronic logging device mandate for most heavy-duty truck operators, FMCSA will seek public input on prospective changes in hours-of-service regulations, including:
Read MoreSources: Environmental Protection Agency; CP staff
Through an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published in the Federal Register, the EPA is soliciting public input on whether and how to change the way it considers costs and benefits in making regulatory decisions.
Read MoreSources: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; CP staff
The EPA has designated cement and concrete, construction, and iron and steel among 13 regulated industries chartering Smart Sectors, a partnership program whose collaborative approach, agency officials contend, provides an opportunity to pinpoint more forward-thinking ways to protect the environment.
Read MoreSource: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.
NRMCA’s updated Compliance Guide for the Federal Drivers’ Hours of Service (HOS) addresses key aspects of new Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration rules, especially in light of ready mixed producer exemptions from 30-minute break and driver logging requirement extension to 14 hours.
Read MoreScheduled International Concrete Sustainability Conference speakers include Hank Keiper of the SEFA Group, who will present “The Future of Fly Ash is Under Our Feet,” during the May 12-14 event in Boston. He will discuss the dwindling availability of coal fly ash suitable for use as supplementary cementitious material in the U.S. due to environmental regulations and market factors. To ensure a future supply of high-quality, Class F fly ash, SEFA Group has modified its proprietary thermal beneficiation process to accept fly ash reclaimed from disposal sites, including both landfills and settling ponds. The adaptation of a proven technology will create a consistent supply of premium fly ash, prevent future disposal of material initially below ASTM C618 grade, and offer existing site
remediation solutions.
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx cites a potential $1.7 billion savings for trucking interests from the proposed elimination of a daily paperwork burden tied to Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIR).
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