New regs for Monday: Efficiency, lithium batteries, endangered fish

Monday’s edition of the Federal Register contains new energy conservation standards for general service fluorescent lamps, mailing standards for lithium batteries and protections for five species of endangered sawfish.

Here’s what is happening:

Efficiency: The Department of Energy is moving forward with “more stringent” energy conservation standards for general service fluorescent lamps.

The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announced Friday new efficiency rules for general service fluorescent lamps that could cost the industry an estimated $330 million to comply with.

{mosads}Manufacturers will be required to comply with these rules by Jan. 26, 2018.

But at the same time, the DOE also announced it will not issue new energy conservation standards for incandescent reflector lamps, because it would be too expensive for the industry and would not be “economically justified.”

Mail: The Postal Service is moving forward with new hazardous materials requirements for mailing lithium batteries.

Lithium batteries will be subject to new mailing standards to align with recent rule changes from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

The changes go into effect March 2.

Uranium: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering new health and environmental protection standards for the byproduct from uranium in-situ recovery. 

The new standards would build upon the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 and are aimed at protecting groundwater from “significant hazards,” the EPA noted.

The public has 90 days to comment.

Ozone: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will allow scientists to study certain ozone-depleting substances.

The EPA announced Friday it is exempting these substances from rules in the Clean Air Act that prohibit their use for the purpose of laboratory and analytical research.

The changes go into effect immediately.

Endangered: The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is moving to protect five species of sawfish.

The FWS announced Friday it is adding the narrow sawfish, dwarf sawfish, largetooth sawfish, green sawfish and smalltooth sawfish to the list of endangered species.

The changes go into effect immediately.