New regs for Thursday: Computers, cows, Indian reservations

Thursday’s edition of the Federal Register contains new rules for computer systems, cattle imports from Mexico, wage garnishment, landfills, and Indian reservations.

Here’s what is happening:

Efficiency: The Department of Energy is considering new energy efficiency standards for computer and battery backup systems.

The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy said Wednesday it is looking at new rules that would regulate the energy use of computer systems.

The Energy Department will hold a public meeting on July 31 to discuss the possible new standards. The public has 45 days to comment.

Cows: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is considering loosening restrictions on cattle imports from certain areas of Mexico, the agency announced Wednesday.

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said cattle from the Mexican state of Sonora does not present a risk of bringing fever ticks to the U.S., and therefore, should be exempt from acaricide dipping treatment requirements.

The public has 60 days to comment.

Wage garnishment: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is scrapping an unpopular wage garnishment rule that would have allowed the agency to take money out of people’s paychecks to pay for fines they owe the agency for violating regulations.

Landfills: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking to reduce emissions at landfills around the country, the agency said Wednesday.

“Such reductions would reduce air pollution and the resulting harm to public health and welfare,” the agency wrote. 

The public has 60 days to comment.

Indian reservations: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is looking to extend its regulatory authority on Indian reservations to include concrete batch plants, boilers, stationary spark ignition engines, stationary compression ignition engines, graphic arts and printing operations, and sawmills.

The EPA on Wednesday proposed requiring general permits for these areas. The public has 30 days to comment.

At the same time, the EPA is delaying a plan to regulate oil and gas emissions on Indian reservations. The agency proposed such rules last month, but said Wednesday it is extending the comment period through Aug. 20 to give the public more time to consider the rule.