New regs for Monday: College, nuclear energy, climate change

Monday’s edition of the Federal Register contains new rules for college students from low-income families, nuclear energy and greenhouse gas guidelines.

Here’s what is happening:

College: The Department of Education is proposing new requirements to encourage students from low-income families to attend college.

The Education Department’s Office of Postsecondary Education proposed Friday to identify financial and other barriers that keep low-income college students from graduating.

{mosads}”While the vast majority of high school graduates from the wealthiest American families continue on to higher education, only half of high school graduates from the poorest families attend college,” the agency wrote.

“Ensuring that these students persist in and complete their postsecondary education is essential to meeting our nation’s educational challenges,” it added.

According to the Education Department, college graduates earn nearly twice as much money as high school graduates — but only 40 percent of American adults have a post-secondary degree.

“Earning a post-secondary degree or credential is a prerequisite for the growing jobs of the new economy and the clearest pathway to the middle class,” the agency wrote.

The public has 30 days to comment.

Nuclear: The Department of Energy is moving forward with new rules for nuclear energy.

The department’s National Nuclear Security Administration announced Friday it is updating foreign atomic energy regulations for the first time since 1986.

Nuclear power comes from atomic energy.

The new rules go into effect in 30 days.

Pollution: The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is delaying new guidelines for greenhouse gas emissions.

The CEQ issued a draft guidance in December advising federal agencies on how they should consider greenhouse gas emissions and the effects of climate change in their reviews. But it said Friday it is extending the comment period.

The public now has until March 25 to comment.

Food: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is reviewing the regulatory systems of foreign countries that export food here to make sure they comply with national standards.

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service will use a Web-based tool for these countries to report information about their food regulatory systems.

Foreign countries that export meat, poultry or egg products to the U.S. will be required to comply by May 18, 2015.