Wednesday’s edition of the Federal Register contains new emissions standards for garbage disposal plants and industrial boilers, security protocols for cruise ships, and rules speeding up the process by which the government can collect delinquent debts.
Here’s what is happening:
Garbage: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering new emissions standards for garbage disposal facilities and other industrial solid waste incinerators.
The EPA issued emissions standards for industrial solid waste incinerators in 2013, but said Tuesday it will reconsider portions of those rules after receiving several petitions to do so.
The changes could affect industries such as mining, oil and gas exploration, and pipeline operators that use solid waste incinerators, the agency noted.
The public has 45 days to comment.
Boilers: The Environmental Protection Agency is considering new emissions standards for industrial and commercial boilers.
The EPA issued emissions standards for industrial boilers in 2013, but said Tuesday it will reconsider portions of the rules at the request of several petitions from industry and environmental groups.
Manufacturers, schools, churches, civic organizations, restaurants, and bars that use industrial boilers could all be affected by the potential changes, the agency said.
The public has 45 days to comment.
Debts: The Railroad Retirement Board is considering speeding up the process by which it collects debts owed to the government.
The agency would refer non-tax debts that have been delinquent for more than 120 days to the Treasury Department for administrative offset under the proposed changes.
Previously, the agency waited until those debts had been delinquent for more than 180 days.
The public has 60 days to comment.
Cruise ships: The Coast Guard is considering new rules for cruise ship security.
The security regulations would establish new requirements for screening all passengers, crew members, and visitors who travel on cruise ships, as well as their baggage.
The Coast Guard proposed the rules in December, but said Tuesday it will hold a public meeting next month to discuss them in further detail.
“The proposed regulations would standardize the security requirements of cruise ship terminals and would eliminate redundancies in current regulations that govern the security of cruise ship terminals,” the Coast Guard wrote.
Media: The Department of Justice is moving forward with a new policy restricting federal agents from investigating members of the news media.
Attorney General Eric Holder announced last week that federal agents could not investigate, question, arrest, or charge reporters without his direct authorization. The rules will go into effect as soon as they are published in Wednesday’s edition of the Federal Register.