Tom Ewing’s Environmental Update

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*  Another request last week for information on autonomous vehicles: US DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is reviewing existing regs “that may need to be updated, modified, or eliminated to facilitate the safe introduction of automated driving systems (ADS) equipped commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) onto our Nation’s roadways.”  More specifically, the agency requests information in 3 broad areas: (1) about scenarios and environments where entities expect that ADS will soon be tested and integrated into CMVs operating on public roads or in interstate commerce; (2) the operational design domains (ODD) in which these systems are being operated or would be tested and eventually deployed; and (3) measures to protect proprietary or confidential business information that might reach the agency.  This process continues and builds on DOT’s “voluntary guidance” work that started last September.  The guidance adopts SAE  (Society of Automotive Engineers) definitions which divide vehicles into five levels based on ‘‘who does what, when.”  Comments are due May 10.

*  EPA proposes adding hazardous waste aerosol cans to the universal waste program under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations. This change, once finalized, could benefit the wide variety of establishments generating and managing hazardous waste aerosol cans, including the retail sector.  EPA writes that new rules would provide “a clear, protective system for managing discarded aerosol cans” and that streamlined universal waste regulations would “ease regulatory burdens on retail stores and others that discard hazardous waste aerosol cans,” promote collection and recycling and encourage the development of municipal and commercial programs to reduce waste quantities being landfilled or combusted.  Comments are due May 15, 2018.

*  Okay, it’s just a rough measure but Federal Register pages totaled 13,815 at the end of the 1st quarter this year.  Same time last year? 16,099 pages.  That’s a negative delta of 2,284 pages over which you didn’t need to twist and distort your eyeballs.  Feeling better?

Tom Ewing
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