Stephanie Salmon, AFS Washington Office; Jeff Hannapel & Christian Richter, The Policy Group, Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON ALERT
New Recordkeeping and Walking/Working Surfaces Rules Top OSHA’s Spring Agenda
OSHA REMAINS ON TRACK TO COMPLETE THE NEXT STEPS FOR SEVERAL MAJOR RULEMAKINGS.
Several final and proposed U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules of interest to the metalcasting industry are expected to be published in the next few months, according to the agency’s spring regulatory agenda, released in May. Its rule on walking/working
surfaces to address slip, trip and fall hazards is expected to be issued in August, and a rule to improve tracking of occupational injuries and illnesses by changing OSHA’s reporting system has a September release date. The long delayed pro- posed rulemaking that would update OSHA’s Beryllium Standard was set for publication in May but has not been released yet. It remains under review at the Office of Management and Budget. Another rule, a revision to OSHA’s eye and face protection
ON THE HILL
Ratepayer Protection Act Passed On June 24, the U.S. House of Representatives approved H.R. 2042, the Ratepayer Protection Act, by a biparti- san vote of 247-180. The Ratepayer Pro- tection Act was introduced by Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), and Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.). Based on a rarely invoked provision of the Clean Air Act, section 111(d), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking to set mandatory carbon dioxide “goals” for each state’s electric- ity system. It seeks to fundamentally change how electricity is generated, distributed, and consumed in the U.S. States would be required to submit plans to EPA in 2016 and begin meeting interim goals in 2020, with a final goal of 2030.
The Ratepayer Protection Act would protect families and businesses from significant electricity rate increases or reduced electric reliability that may result from EPA’s pending regulations for existing power plants, commonly referred to as the “Clean Power Plan.” The legislation would allow for the completion of judicial review of any final rule before requiring states to comply, and states could not be forced to implement a state or federal plan if its governor finds a significant adverse effect on rates or reliability.
AFS was one of 200 organizations that supported the legislation.
Ephemeral Streams Receive Federal Protections
Previously unregulated ephemeral as well as intermittent and perennial streams receive Clean Water Act protections
under a joint final rule released June 2 by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As a result, previously unprotected ephemeral streams and headwaters that are prone to destruction by mining and excavating practices could come under federal protection through permits. These permits would regulate how dredging and filling occurs with accom- panying mitigation practices. In a change from the proposed rule, the agencies in the final rule also assert jurisdiction over wetlands adjacent to tributaries of navigable waters for the first time by defining how far they are located from a navigable water or its tributary.
For additional information, contact Stephanie Salmon, AFS Washington Off ice,
202/842-4864,
ssalmon@afsinc.org. July 2015 MODERN CASTING | 17
rules to reflect the latest con- sensus standards, is expected to be published soon, as well.
OSHA re-
mains on track to complete the next steps for several other major rulemakings, including complet- ing its analysis of comments on the agency’s compre- hensive proposed silica rule by June. OSHA has proposed a drastically
reduced new permissible exposure limit and is proposing additional requirements, including, but not limited to, medical surveillance
OSHA is expected to publish a revision to its eye and face protection rules soon.
and prohibitions on certain work practices. OSHA officials have repeatedly stated before the Obama administration ends they fully expect to final- ize and enact new regulations aimed at reducing work- place hazards from crystalline silica dust. AFS sub- mitted extensive comments stat- ing its concerns
that OSHA has not met its burden demonstrating that the proposed silica standard is technologically and economically feasible for the metalcasting industry.
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