New regs for Friday: Movie theaters, macadamia nuts, trains

Friday’s edition of the Federal Register contains new rules for movie theaters, macadamia nut farmers, trains carrying hazardous materials and response plans for trains that are involved in oil spills.

Here’s what is happening:

Movie theaters: The Justice Department is moving forward with a plan that would require movie theaters to be more accommodating to people who are deaf or blind.

As The Hill reported on Friday, the proposed rules would require movie theaters to offer closed captioning for the deaf and audio descriptions for the blind at all showings, so that people with disabilities could enjoy the same feature films that are available to the rest of the public. These services would be available to those who request them in a way that is intended to not distract other viewers. 

The requirements could cost movie theaters hundreds of millions of dollars to comply with, the Justice Department estimates. 

The Justice Department announced the rules last week, but this Federal Register notice kicks off a 60-day comment period, where the public is invited to share thoughts on the proposal.

Macadamia: The Department of Agriculture is looking to expand crop insurance coverage for small Macadamia tree and nut farmers who currently have limited access to coverage, the agency said Thursday.

The USDA’s Federal Crop Insurance Corp. said Macadamia farmers with fewer than 80 acres would be eligible for additional coverage options under the proposed rules. The changes would take effected beginning in 2016.

The public has 60 days to comment.

“Most macadamia nut orchards contain less than 80 acres so, very few insureds are eligible for this provision,” the agency wrote. “Removing this provision provides an equitable opportunity for insureds who farm large operations and those who farm small operations.”

Trains: Federal regulators are considering new rules for trains carrying large volumes of flammable liquids.

In the wake of several recent high-profile train derailments, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is teaming up with the Federal Railroad Administration in an effort to make the railways safer by enhancing the construction of these train cars.

“These proposed requirements are designed to lessen the frequency and consequences of train accidents involving certain trains transporting a large volume of flammable liquids,” the agencies wrote. “The growing reliance on trains to transport large volumes of flammable liquids poses a significant risk to life, property, and the environment.”

The public has 60 days to comment.

Oil spills: The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is also teaming up with the Federal Railroad Administration on a related rule that is intended to improve the government’s response to oil spills from high-hazard flammable trains.

The public has 60 days to comment.

Conservation: The USDA is moving forward with changes to the agency’s conservation regulations.

The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Commodity Credit Corporation announced the new rules Thursday.

The rules go into effect immediately.