New regs for Tuesday: Highways, oil and gas, efficiency

Tuesday’s edition of the Federal Register contains new rules for building highways, treating the water affected during oil and gas extraction, and efficiency standards for residential furnaces and boilers.

Here’s what is happening:

Highways: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is proposing new highway design standards.

The highway design standards would include “new construction, reconstruction, resurfacing, restoration, and rehabilitation projects,” the agency noted.

The public has 30 days to comment.

Efficiency: The Department of Energy (DOE) is delaying new efficiency rules for residential furnaces and boilers.

The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy proposed new test procedures for these household appliances in March, but said Monday it is reopening the comment period to give the public more time to respond.

The public now has until July 10 to comment.

Oil and gas: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is delaying new regulations for oil and gas extraction wastewater under the Clean Water Act.

The pretreatment standards proposed in April by the EPA would prevent wastewater pollutants generated during oil and gas development from being discharged into publicly-owned treatment works. But the agency said Monday it is extending the comment period to give the public more time to consider the changes.

The EPA says some publicly-owned treatment works are unprepared to deal with oil and gas pollutants and that these rules would “better protect human health and the environment.”

The public has until July 17 to comment.

Acquisitions: The Obama administration is proposing federal new acquisitions regulations.

The Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are proposing to define multiple-award contracts.

The public has 60 days to comment.