On its website the US Government Printing Office makes a wealth of Federal publications available for review and download; one of these is the Federal Register.

Published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents.

See below for a brief summary of announcements in the Federal Register by the US EPA on the subject of Hazardous Waste and the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the US DOT on the subject of Transportation of Hazardous Materials.

The Federal Register is a great way to look down the road and see potential changes to the regulations long before they are put into effect (sometimes The Rulemaking Process takes years before a final rule is issued, if ever).  Knowledge of these potential changes provides you with several advantages:

• Additional time to modify your business operations to comply.
• Awareness of on what topics the regulatory agencies intend to focus their efforts.
• The ability to register your concerns, complaints, suggestions, etc. in order to modify the proposed rule before a final rule is issued.  It can be done, really!
• Make changes to your training program to account for changes that become effective before the next training cycle.
• Alert you to the need to re-train your employees prior to their next scheduled training cycle, if necessary.
• Keep you abreast of changes to the regulations that affect your business and/or your industry group.

Please note that this is my best effort to identify the relevant announcements in the Federal Register that may be of interest to generators of hazardous waste and shippers of hazardous materials.  I encourage you to review the list of Federal Register publications yourself to ensure regulatory compliance.

 October 1, 2014 through October 31, 2014

USEPA – US Environmental Protection Agency:

Publications not related to the management of hazardous waste, solid waste, universal waste, or used oil are not included here.

Rules and Regulations:

Arkansas: Final Authorization of State-Initiated Changes and Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Pages 59438 – 59444 [FR DOC # 2014-23364] PDF | Text | More

Florida: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions Pages 60756 – 60759 [FR DOC # 2014-24006] PDF | Text | More

Criteria for the Certification and Recertification of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant’s Compliance With the Disposal Regulations; Panel Closure Redesign Pages 60750 – 60756 [FR DOC # 2014-24025] PDF | Text | More

Arkansas: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revision Pages 64678 – 64682 [FR DOC # 2014-25724]        PDF | Text | More

Proposed Rules:

Arkansas: Final Authorization of State-Initiated Changes and Incorporation by Reference of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Pages 59471 – 59472 [FR DOC # 2014-23363] PDF | Text | More

Florida: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions Pages 60795 – 60796 [FR DOC # 2014-24007]       PDF | Text | More

Review Process To Determine Whether the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Continues To Comply With the Disposal Regulations and Compliance Criteria Pages 61268 – 61271 [FR DOC # 2014-24260] PDF | Text | More

Arkansas: Final Authorization of State Hazardous Waste Management Program Revisions Pages 64721 – 64722 [FR DOC # 2014-25725] PDF | Text | More

Notices:

None

FAA – Federal Aviation Administration:

Publications not related to the transportation of hazardous materials are not included here.

Rules and Regulations:

None

Proposed Rules:

None

Notices:

None

FMCSA – Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration:

Publications not related to the transportation of hazardous materials are not included here.

Rules and Regulations:

None

Proposed Rules:

None

Notices:

Hours of Service of Drivers: Application for Renewal of Illumination Fireworks, LLC and ACE Pyro LLC Exemptions From the 14-Hour Rule During Independence Day Celebrations Pages 61687 – 61688 [FR DOC # 2014-24287] PDF | Text | More

FRA – Federal Railroad Administration:

Publications not related to the transportation of hazardous materials are not included here.

Rules and Regulations:

None

Proposed Rules:

None

Notices:

Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request Pages 59891 – 59893 [FR DOC # 2014-23511] PDF | Text | More

Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request Pages 62513 – 62517 [FR DOC # 2014-24688] PDF | Text | More

Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request Pages 63017 – 63018 [FR DOC # 2014-24987] PDF | Text | More

PHMSA – Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration:

Publications not related to the transportation of hazardous materials are not included here.

Rules and Regulations:

None

Proposed Rules:

None

Notices:

List of Delayed Special Permit Applications Pages 59360 – 59361 [FR DOC # 2014-23077] PDF | Text | More

Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Notice of Application for Special Permits; Special Permit Applications Pages 59552 – 59552 [FR DOC # 2014-23476] PDF | Text | More

Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Notice of actions on Special Permit Applications Pages 59552 – 59554 [FR DOC # 2014-23478] PDF | Text | More

Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Notice of Application for Special Permits Pages 63485 – 63486 [FR DOC # 2014-25167] PDF | Text | More

Office of Hazardous Materials Safety; Notice of Applications for Modification of Special Permit Pages 63486 – 63486 [FR DOC # 2014-25166] PDF | Text | More

Safety Advisory: Packaging and Handling Ebola Virus Contaminated Infectious Waste for Transportation to Disposal Sites Pages 64646 – 64647 [FR DOC # 2014-25778] PDF | Text | More

Information can be helpful but it’s useless if you are not able to make sense of it.  You must be able to determine how any changes to the rules and regulations (final or proposed) will affect your operations, and communicate the necessary information to your personnel.  I can help you to do that.

Please contact for a free training consultation to determine your regulatory requirements and how training can help you to attain and maintain compliance with the regulations of the US Environmental Protection Agency (and your state) and the PHMSA, FAA, FRA, & FMCSA of the US Department Of Transportation.

The Federal Register (the daily newspaper of the Federal government) is a legal newspaper published every business day by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).  The Federal Register contains:

• Federal Agency Regulations
• Proposed Rules and Public Notices
• Executive Orders
• Proclamations
• Other Presidential Documents

NARA’s Office of the Federal Register prepares the Federal Register for publication in partnership with the Government Printing Office (GPO). GPO distributes the Federal Register in paper, on microfiche, and on their website:  GPO’s Federal Digital System – Federal Register.

Basically, the Federal Register is “Heads up!” shout-out from all of the Federal regulatory agencies (USEPA, USDOT/PHMSA, USDOT/FRA, USDOT/FAA, USDOT/FMCSA, and others) about what they’re planning, what rules they’ve created – or intend to create, if they are requesting feed-back from interested parties, if they’ve changed their mind, whatever.  The Federal Register is a communication tool – and sometimes the only communication tool – used by the Federal government to inform those in a regulated industry of what they have in the works.  As a member of a regulated community – which I assume you are since you’ve read this far – you must stay on top of the Federal Register announcements from those agencies whose regulations impact your business.

I can help you to do this.

One way that I do this is by scanning the Federal Register each month for announcement I feel my customers may be interested in.  These I tabulate and include in an article format with links to the Federal Register itself.  Here are few recent examples:

• September 2014 Federal Register Announcements
• August 2014 Federal Register Announcements
• July 2014 Federal Register Announcements

To see articles for other months I suggest you perform a search on my blog:  Daniels Training Services Blog

I don’t have the resources to review the Federal Register for every announcement from every agency, here is what I focus on:

• The Hazardous Material Regulations (HMR) of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) pertaining to the transportation of hazardous materials in commerce.  PHMSA is just one of many administrations and bureaus within the US Department of Transportation.
• The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) – another administration within the USDOT – and any announcements pertaining to the transportation in commerce of hazardous materials.
• The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) – yet another administration within the USDOT – and any announcements pertaining to the transportation in commerce of hazardous materials.
• The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) – you guessed it:  still another administration within the USDOT – and any announcements pertaining to the transportation in commerce of hazardous materials.

And…

• Announcements from the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) pertaining to the management of solid waste, hazardous waste, universal waste, or used oil.

Depending on the immediacy, importance, and relevance of a Federal Register announcement I may dig into more deeply and research it myself.  Usually this research will result in a thoroughly researched article that appears on my blog.  But if I don’t have the time or resources for a full blown article, I will summarize the key information in an article on my blog and then direct interested parties to the Federal Register with a hyperlink.  You can see some examples of that below:

• USEPA (Region VII) Seeks Comments on its Proposed Exclusion of John Deere’s Listed Hazardous Waste
• PHMSA to Prohibit the Operations of a HazMat Shipper or Carrier Until Civil Penalties are Paid
• FAA Announces Notice of Public Meeting
• PHMSA Proposes New Rule for Return Shipments of Certain HazMat by Motor Vehicle [Hazardous Materials:  Reverse Logistics (RRR)]
  • And Then PHMSA Extends the Comment Period

If you are interested in others topics I suggest you perform a search on my blog.

If you do not find what you are looking for or have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Announcements from regulatory agencies of the US Government in the Federal Register can have a profound impact on your business.  Therefore it’s important for you to continuously monitor Federal Register publications for announcements applicable to your operations.  I can help you to do this.

Sometimes an announcement in the Federal Register calls for a more thorough explanation than just what is conveyed by the headline.  That is the point of this article.  Here I will briefly summarize, and provide access to more information, on a specific Federal Register announcement:  Hazardous Waste Management System; Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste; Proposed Exclusion.

What agency is making the announcement?

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

When was this announced in the Federal Register?

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Any other dates I need to know?

Comments must be received on or before September 19, 2014.

Any person may request a hearing on the proposed decision by filing a request to EPA by September 4, 2014.

What type of action is this?

Proposed rule and request for comment.

What regulations may be impacted?

40 CFR Part 261

[EPA-R07-RCRA-2014-0452; FRL-9915-45-Region 7]

How is the announcement identified?

Hazardous Waste Management System; Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste; Proposed Exclusion

Pages 49252 – 49260 [FR DOC # 2014-19771]

I don’t have all day.  Can you sum it up for me and I’ll determine if I need to read the whole thing?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, also, “the Agency” or “we”) is proposing to grant a petition submitted by the John Deere Des Moines Works (John Deere) of Deere & Company, in Ankeny, Iowa to exclude or “delist” up to 600 tons per calendar year of F006/F019 wastewater treatment sludge filter cake generated by John Deere’s wastewater treatment system from the list of hazardous wastes.  The Agency has tentatively decided to grant the petition based on an evaluation of waste-specific information provided by John Deere. This proposed decision, if finalized, would conditionally exclude the petitioned waste from the requirements of hazardous waste regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).  This exclusion would be valid only when the wastewater treatment
sludge filter cake is disposed of in a Subtitle D landfill which is permitted, licensed, or otherwise authorized by a State to manage industrial solid waste.  If finalized, EPA would conclude that John Deere’s petitioned waste is nonhazardous with respect to the original listing criteria and that there are no other current factors which would cause the waste to be hazardous.

Where can I look for more information?

PDF | Text | More

Announcements from regulatory agencies of the US Government in the Federal Register can have a profound impact on your business.  Therefore it’s important for you to continuously monitor Federal Register publications for announcements applicable to your operations.  I can help you to do this.

Sometimes an announcement in the Federal Register calls for a more thorough explanation than just what is conveyed by the headline.  That is the point of this article.  Here I will briefly summarize, and provide access to more information, on a specific Federal Register announcement:  Hazardous Materials:  Falure to Pay Civil Penalties. (more…)

Announcements from regulatory agencies of the US Government in the Federal Register can have a profound impact on your business.  Therefore it’s important for you to continuously monitor Federal Register publications for announcements applicable to your operations.  I can help you to do this.

Sometimes an announcement in the Federal Register calls for a more thorough explanation than just what is conveyed by the headline.  That is the point of this article.  Here I will briefly summarize, and provide access to more information, on a specific Federal Register announcement:  Public Meeting to be Held in Washingon DC on October 14, 2014.

What agency is making the announcement?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), two of many administrations within the US Department of Transportation.

When was this announced in the Federal Register?

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Any other dates I need to know?

The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m.

What type of action is this?

Notice of Public Meeting.

How is the announcement identified?

I don’t have all day.  Can you sum it up for me and I’ll determine if I need to read the whole thing?

In preparation for the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Dangerous Goods Panel’s (DGP’s) meeting to be held October 20-24, 2014, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the FAA’s Office of Hazardous Materials Safety and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) Office of Hazardous Materials Safety announce a public meeting.

Where can I look for more information?

Questions regarding the meeting can be directed to Ms. Janet McLaughlin, Deputy Director, Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, ADG-2, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591; telephone (202) 267-7530. Email: 9-AWA-ASH-ADG-HazMat@faa.gov. Questions in advance of the meeting for PHMSA can be directed to Mr. Shane Kelley, Assistant International Standards Coordinator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, PHH-10, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202) 366-8553, Email: shane.kelley@dot.gov.

 For the full Federal Register publication:  PDF | Text | More