New regs for Friday: Nuclear, sign language, fox

Friday’s edition of the Federal Register contains new sign language training requirements for interpreters, fewer protections for once-endangered species of fox and whistleblower protections for nuclear employees.

Here’s what is happening:

Whistleblowers: The Department of Energy is proposing new whistleblower protections for nuclear facilities.

The Energy Department’s Office of Nuclear Safety Enforcement said Thursday it is updating the agency’s rules for nuclear activities to include civil penalties against companies that retaliate against employees who report safety issues.

The public has 30 days to comment.

Threatened: The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is loosening the protections for three species of fox that it says are no longer endangered.

The FWS said Thursday it will reclassify the San Miguel Island fox, Santa Rosa Island fox, and Santa Cruz Island fox as threatened species, which affords the animals fewer protections.

The agency will also establish a post-delisting monitoring plan.

The changes go into effect in 30 days.

Sign language: The Department of Education is moving forward with new training requirements for sign language interpreters.

The Education Department’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announced Thursday a final priority for training sign language interpreters to work with people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The priority goes into effect in 30 days.