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10/7/19

On Mondays, Rogan’s List features a listing of proposed rule and regulation changes that are currently accepting public comment.  Commenting is the way to show government agencies how we feel about these proposed changes. Our comments also become part of a record that will be reviewed by courts if and when a reg change is contested. Courts use comments to judge whether an agency is acting arbitrarily and capriciously.

Organization

Closing Soon
Recent   
Section I - ICE, DHS, DOL, NLRB
Section II - everything environmental - EPA, BLM, DOE
Section III - Civil rights, housing, education, healthcare
Other: More on regulations (tracking the trackers/general information)  
(Note: After a couple of weeks items are moved from “Recent” and “Closing soon” into the Roman numeral sections. A note on regulatory processes: there are three stages - Notice, Proposed Rule, and Rule. There’s usually a time lag of a few months to a few years between them, and they must be published in the Federal Register before appearing on Regulations.gov. Comment time varies from 10 days to 2 months, sometimes with extensions.)

Closing Soon

1.       Comments due October 7, 2019. From EPA reducing water quality standards to allow mercury among other things (part of piecemeal undoing of Clean Water Act.) Revision of Certain Federal Water Quality Criteria Applicable to Washington. Read it and comment here: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-HQ-OW-2015-0174-0442. Read this comment from Engineering Superintendent, City of Everett, WA. https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-HQ-OW-2015-0174-0274 Read article on earlier history of EPA’s actions on this: https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/environment-and-energy/epa-proposes-then-pulls-reversal-of-washington-water-rule

2.      Comments due October 11, 2019: On violence against native women. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/08/12/2019-16597/agency-information-collection-activities-proposed-new-information-collection-activity-comment. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed New Information Collection Activity; Comment Request, Proposed Study Entitled “The National Baseline Study on Public Health, Wellness, & Safety” Study of violence against women in tribal communities. Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as well as a brief abstract: Title IX, Section 904(a) of the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005), Public Law 109-162 (codified at 42 U.S.C. 3796gg-10 note), as amended by Section 907 of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, Public Law 113-4, mandates that the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in consultation with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Start Printed Page 39881Violence Against Women (OVW), conduct a National Baseline Study (NBS) on violence against American Indian (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) women living in tribal communities. NIJ's NBS will examine violence against AI and AN women (including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking) and identify factors that place AI and AN women at risk for victimization and propose recommendations to improve effectiveness of these responses. 

3.      Closing 10/10/2019. Allows injection of nuclear wastewater into North Dakota aquafers. Request for Public Comments Regarding the Revised Dewey-Burdock Uranium In-Situ Recovery Underground Injection Control Permits in Edgemont, South Dakota. Comment here: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-R08-OW-2019-0512-0017 Read more here: https://www.nativesunnews.today/articles/epa-ignores-tribal-consulation/ and https://www.indianz.com/News/2019/09/05/epa-invites-public-comment-on-black-hill.asp

4.      Comments due Oct. 16, 2019. Extended comment period. Two proposals to weaken energy conservation standards. Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Dishwashers, Grant of Petition for Rulemaking; Proposed rule.  https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EERE-2018-BT-STD-0005-2302 . Creates “a new class of less efficient dishwashers – the latest in DOE’s series of energy efficiency rollbacks” - and https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EERE-2018-BT-STD-0005-2316 Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/17/climate/trump-dishwasher-regulatory-rollback.html https://energycommerce.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/pallone-on-doe-approving-petition-to-roll-back-more-energy-efficiency

5.     Comments due October 18, 2019. Proposed rule, titled HUD's Implementation of the Fair Housing Act's Disparate Impact Standard.  Comment - How HUD Could Dismantle a Pillar of Civil Rights Law: "The Trump administration will introduce a new rule on Monday that may reshape the way the government enforces fair housing law, making it harder for people to bring forward discrimination complaints under the Fair Housing Act." https://www.citylab.com/equity/2019/08/fair-housing-act-hud-disparate-impact-discrimination-lenders/595972/ From Axios: “A proposal from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would protect landlords, lenders and insurers that want to use algorithms for important determinations, shielding them from claims that the algorithms unintentionally have a more negative impact on certain groups of people.” Read it and comment here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/08/19/2019-17542/huds-implementation-of-the-fair-housing-acts-disparate-impact-standard


7.     Comments due October 21, 2019. Hours of Service of Drivers (Trucks). https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FMCSA-2018-0248-5454. Federal regulators are poised to relax rules governing the hours truck drivers can spend behind the wheel, raising concerns about safety. https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/regulators-want-to-loosen-hours-of-service-rules-for-truckers 

8.    Update. Comments now due January 20, 2o19 - comment period extended from Sept. 16. Port Access Route Study: Alaskan Arctic Coast https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=USCG-2018-1058-0012  Read this comment from Audubon Society and Ocean Conservancy, among other organizations: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=USCG-2018-1058-0002 “The remoteness of the region and lack of infrastructure means that the impacts of a serious vessel accident, especially an oil spill, could be devastating to the marine environment and the people whose lives and livelihoods depend on a healthy ocean.” BLM has already released plans to drill the Arctic Coastal Plain - elsewhere in this document.

Recent

1.      New Regulations.gov beta site - is easier to read. https://beta.regulations.gov/

2.      10/2/2019. Trump admin to broadly expand DNA collection of migrants in custody -The DNA would then be transferred to the FBI’s criminal justice DNA database, an official said. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-admin-broadly-expand-dna-collection-migrants-custody-n1061471. Not posted as a proposed regulation yet.

3.      Comments due Dec. 2, 2019. SNAP: Standardization of State Heating and Cooling Standard Utility Allowances. The proposed rule would revise Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regulations to standardize the methodology for calculating standard utility allowances (SUAs or standards). Will result in food stamp cuts to millions. Read more: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/10/03/2019-21287/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-standardization-of-state-heating-and-cooling-standard and

4.      10/4/2019 Presidential Proclamation. Denying entry to immigrants without health insurance. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-proclamation-suspension-entry-immigrants-will-financially-burden-united-states-healthcare-system/. Read more here. If/when comment period becomes available, it will be posted here. https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/trump-will-deny-visas-to-immigrants-who-lack-health-care-coverage/2019/10/04/81e4f48a-e710-11e9-b403-f738899982d2_story.html

5.      To be published 10/7/2019. Notice of Availability for the Record of Decision for the Central Coast Field Office Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment for Oil and Gas Leasing and Development, California. Allows fracking in previously prohibited areas of California. Comments should become open in 30 days from publication.This plan amendment identifies the Federal mineral estate, located primarily in Fresno, Monterey and San Benito counties, California, that is available for oil and gas leasing and development. It also identifies leasing stipulations to protect resources.” https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/10/07/2019-21654/notice-of-availability-for-the-record-of-decision-for-the-central-coast-field-office-approved. Link to BLM site: https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=dispatchToPatternPage&currentPageId=96878

6.      Presidential Executive Order requiring Medicare to pay amount equal to what private insurers pay for services (rather than negotiating lower prices for Medicare recipients). Predicted to bankrupt Medicare. “(b)  The Secretary, in consultation with the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, shall submit to the President, through the Assistants to the President for Domestic and Economic Policy, a report within 180 days from the date of this order that identifies approaches to modify Medicare FFS payments to more closely reflect the prices paid for services in MA and the commercial insurance market, to encourage more robust price competition, and otherwise to inject market pricing into Medicare FFS reimbursement.” https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-protecting-improving-medicare-nations-seniors/ When it is a proposed rule, will be posted here. Read more: https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2019-10-04/hiltzik-trump-medicare; https://khn.org/news/trump-speech-offers-dizzying-preview-of-his-health-care-campaign-strategy/

7.      Closing11/8/2019. USCIS Removal of 30- Day Processing Provision for Asylum Applicant- Related Form I-765 Employment Authorization Applications.  Comment here: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=USCIS-2018-0001-0001 “This rule change would allow DHS to take much longer to decide whether someone seeking asylum should be issued a work permit, requiring asylum-seekers to essentially survive on others’ charity while our government processes paperwork,” Read more here: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article235034052.html#storylink=cpy 

8.      Comments due October 31, 2019. Reopening of comment period, Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 6-Month Extension of Final Determination on the Proposed Threatened Status for the Bi-State Distinct Population Segment of Greater Sage-grouse. US Forest Service is allowing more time to comment on endangered species. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/10/01/2019-21385/endangered-and-threatened-species-6-month-extension-of-final-determination-on-the-proposed. Read more here: https://lmtribune.com/northwest/wildlife-official-say-sage-grouse-numbers-are-down-significantly-across/article_87e110be-25c9-5f1a-9ecb-7a05d4d5c17f.html

9.      Sept. 17, 2019. Rule: “New Swine Slaughter Inspection System (NSIS)” - Harms animals and reduces food safety. https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2019/09/17/usda-modernizes-swine-slaughter-inspection-first-time-over-50-years “A new rule, finalized today, would reduce the number of government food safety inspectors in pork plants by 40 percent, and remove most of the remaining inspectors from production lines. In their place, a smaller number of company employees — who are not required to receive any training — would conduct the “sorting” tasks that USDA previously referred to as “inspection.” The rule would also allow companies to design their own microbiological testing programs to measure food safety, rather than requiring companies to meet the same standard.” Link to pdf.: https://go.usa.gov/xVPVK Read more here: https://www.foodandwine.com/news/usda-pork-processing-inspection-rules-change-2019 and https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/461774-risking-food-safety-usda-plans-to-let-slaughterhouses-self-police 

10.  Comments due Dec. 18, 2019. Extending habitat for threatened orca. “Endangered and Threatened Species: Critical Habitat for the Southern Resident Killer Whale Distinct Population Segment.” https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=NOAA-NMFS-2014-0041-0278. Supported by Center for Biological Diversity: https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/federal-rule-protects-endangered-orcas-west-coast-habitat-2019-09-18/ 

11.  Multiple dates posted in September, undoing the Clean Air Act piecemeal. “NESHAP” is “National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants” https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/search?conditions%5Bpublication_date%5D%5Bgte%5D=08%2F23%2F2019&conditions%5Bterm%5D=NESHAP# - read more here, including a good explanation of how this works: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/miscellaneous-coating-manufacturing-20449/ and https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/municipal-solid-waste-landfills-neshap-65928/ One proposed change here: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0833-0001 


13.  Sept 9, 2019. Plan. National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Bureau of Land Management plan to open Alaska Coastal Plain to oil and petroleum exploration and drilling. BLM eplanning site Alaska Coastal Plain National Petroleum Reserve https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=renderDefaultPlanOrProjectSite&projectId=117408 Read more here: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/reports/2019/09/10/474256/vast-liquidation-public-lands-underway-alaska/ Leasing site: https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends_ch4/  https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-alaska-refuge-oil-drilling-2640355340.html and https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/09/travel/alaska-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge.html 

14.  Dated 8/28/2019 and posted 9/10/2019. No comment information included, proposed rule. USDA withdraws several regulations on important areas - Performance Standards for the Production of Processed Meat and Poultry Products.NPRM ............ 8/03/2006 71 FR 43992 APHIS .................... 0579–AE02 .... Livestock Marketing Facilities .................................... NPRM ............ 1/2/2015 80 FR 6 FNS ........................ 0584–AD88 .... Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Farm Bill of 2008 Retailer Sanctions.NPRM ............ 8/14/2012 77 FR 48461 FNS ........................ 0584–AE00 .... Emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance for Victims of Disasters Procedures. No comment instructions. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/09/10/2019-19572/withdrawal-of-certain-proposed-rules

15.  9/6/2019 EPA and DOJ threaten California Air Resources Board and automakers for auto-emissions standard, politicizing EPA and DOJ in anti-environment move. EPA letter to CA: https://www.epa.gov › documents › epa.dot_puts_california_on_notice.pdf and DOJ story here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/justice-dept-launches-antitrust-probe-of-automakers-over-their-fuel-efficiency-deal-with-california/2019/09/06/29a22ee6-d0c7-11e9-b29b-a528dc82154a_story.html?noredirect=on. “California officials, who have repeatedly asserted the state’s rights under the 1970 Clean Air Act, criticized the inquiry as politicization to impose the Republican president’s policies.” Read more here: https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/09/20190919-onerule.html . Other federal announcements pertaining to CA auto emissions standards: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/trump-administration-announces-one-national-program-rule-federal-preemption-state-fuel and https://www.nhtsa.gov/corporate-average-fuel-economy/safe and https://www.nhtsa.gov/document/safe-vehicles-rule-part-1-fr-notice-09192019 Comment email addresses for EPA officials by area: Email addresses for EPA https://www.epa.gov/dockets/where-send-comments-epa-dockets#regional

16.  Closing 11/8/2019. Removal of 30-Day Processing Provision for Asylum Applicant-Related Form I-765 Employment Authorization Applications  https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/09/09/2019-19125/removal-of-30-day-processing-provision-for-asylum-applicant-related-form-i-765-employment. USCIS will issue a proposed rule Monday that would eliminate a requirement to process initial work permit applications by asylum seekers within 30 days.  Read about it here: https://immigrationforum.org/article/anticipated-proposed-rule-would-undermine-u-s-workforce/ 

17.  Comments due Nov. 18, 2019. Changes to how HUD calculates means-testing for public housing. Proposed rule. “FR-6057-P-01 Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016: Implementation of Sections 102, 103, and 104.” https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=HUD-2019-0078-0001. Not much comment yet. Read more here: https://nahroblog.org/2019/09/16/new-hotma-provisions-to-be-implemented/#more-14008 

18.  Closing 12/10/2019. Dark money allowed to be hidden in new proposed rule. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/09/10/2019-19501/guidance-under-section-6033-regarding-the-reporting-requirements-of-exempt-organizations  IRS proposes regulations allowing tax-exempt groups to keep donor identities secret .The proposed regulations are likely to generate comments critical of political groups using tax-exempt entities for fundraising without disclosing the identities of their donors, effectively using so-called "dark money" to finance their causes and preferred candidates. The rules would also apply to groups such as the National Rifle Association, labor unions and trade associations. https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/irs-proposes-regulations-allowing-tax-exempt-groups-to-keep-donor-identities-secret and https://www.insidepoliticallaw.com/2019/09/06/irs-issues-notice-of-proposed-rulemaking-on-donor-disclosure-rules-in-response-to-court-ruling/

19.  Comments due 11/4/2019. Relaxing energy-efficiency standards. Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for General Service Incandescent Lamps  Read it and comment here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/09/05/2019-18941/energy-conservation-program-energy-conservation-standards-for-general-service-incandescent-lamps and read about it here: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/04/climate/trump-light-bulb-rollback.html 

20.  Comments due 10/29/2019 Notice. Land Management Plan: Chugach National Forest; Alaska - opens up national forest to roads -This national forest is "a truly wild and roadless landscape that also includes the highest concentration of tidewater glaciers in North America, this area deserves the highest level of permanent protection in the new forest plan. Alternative D recommends full Wilderness designation for 97% of the Nellie Juan-College Fjord WSA!" - information that can be used in commenting following the instructions below can be found at  https://winterwildlands.org/comment-now-chugach-forest-plan/ Comment at - Via fax to (907) 586-7840. Faxes must be addressed to “Objection Reviewing Officer.” The fax coversheet should specify the number of pages being submitted. Electronically to the Objection Reviewing Officer via the CARA objection web form: https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public//CommentInput?Project=40816. Electronic submissions must be submitted in a format (Word, PDF, or Rich Text) that is readable and searchable with optical character recognition software. Read it here: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FS_FRDOC_0001-3227 https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/chugach/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprdb5408185  https://winterwildlands.org/comment-now-chugach-forest-plan/

21.  Comments due 10/31/2019. Request for Comments on 2020 National Trade Estimate - used in determining trade policy. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/09/03/2019-18910/request-for-comments-to-compile-the-national-trade-estimate-report-on-foreign-trade-barriers  You can read the 2019 estimate here: https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/2019_National_Trade_Estimate_Report.pdf


23.  Tongass National Forest EPA site - proposal to open up Tongass National Forest to logging, roads, etc. Not on regulations.gov yet. You have to download the documents to read them but the first six pages of the first document confirm the intent. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/08/trump-open-alaskas-tongass-national-forest-worlds-largest-remaining-temperate-rainforest-logging-mining.html?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=Lands  https://cdxnodengn.epa.gov/cdx-enepa-II/public/action/eis/details?eisId=277660 and Tongass development search

24.  8/29/2019. Never posted - further citizenship restrictions. USCIS failed to provide advance public notice of this shift. USCIS’s Elimination of Non-Military Deferred Action at Local USCIS Offices - https://www.aila.org/advo-media/issues/all/featured-issue-usciss-elimination-of-non-military. "This shift puts lives in danger, including the lives of children facing serious medical conditions like cancer, epilepsy, cystic fibrosis, and HIV. USCIS's actions threaten such individuals with deportation and loss of access to essential treatment. USCIS's failure to provide advance public notice of this policy change epitomizes the agency's growing disregard for transparency and accountability." Write your legislators.

25.  Protect Utah and Hovenweep National Monument from Oil and Gas Drilling! https://secure.npca.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2088

Section I - ICE, DHS, DOL, NLRB

1.      Closing 10/28/2019 Notice. Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection: Immigration Bond - connected to public charge rule - “Form No. I-352, Immigration Bond, has not been substantively revised since 2008. Changes to the form are now necessary because U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) intends to issue a different form for public charge bonds and Form I-352 will no longer be used for that type of bond.”  https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/08/27/2019-18431/agency-information-collection-activities-revision-of-a-currently-approved-collection-immigration

2.      Comments due 10/25/2019. Rule, but allows comments, sweeping changes to immigration review system. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/08/26/2019-18196/organization-of-the-executive-office-for-immigration-review “ and https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EOIR-2019-0003-0001. “In an unprecedented attempt at agency overreach to dismantle the Immigration Court, the Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) today published a new interim rule, effective next Monday, which takes steps to dismantle the Immigration Court system. DOJ’s action ends any transparency and assurance of independent decision making over individual cases” Read more here: https://www.aila.org/infonet/statement-ij-union-changes-immig-court-system and read the statement - https://www.aila.org/File/DownloadEmbeddedFile/81679 and https://www.saukvalley.com/2019/08/05/why-i-resigned-as-an-immigration-judge/a3p94ex/

3.      Posted July 22, 2019 Notice. Submission to the Secretary of Agriculture: Pesticides; Agricultural Worker Protection Standard; Revision of the Application Exclusion Zone Requirements affecting “Agricultural worker, employer, environmental protection, farms, forests, greenhouses pesticides, nurseries, pesticide handler, worker protection standard.” No comments as it is “merely a submission to the Secretary of Agriculture.” Given this administration’s track record, this doesn’t bode well. Write your representatives. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/07/22/2019-15371/submission-to-the-secretary-of-agriculture-pesticides-agricultural-worker-protection-standard


Section II - EPA, BUREAU OF RECLAMATION - ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

1.      Posted August 12, 2019. Allowing more toxic substances. Notice. Certain New Chemicals or Significant New Uses; Statements of Findings for June 2019  EPA proposed significant new uses of toxic chemicals, including isocynates, used in polyurethane. Comments not accepted. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/08/12/2019-17151/certain-new-chemicals-or-significant-new-uses-statements-of-findings-for-june-2019. Read more here: http://blogs.edf.org/health/2019/08/08/trump-epa-caves-again-to-industry-demands-on-new-chemicals-and-workers-pay-the-price/

2.     July 14, 2019 Multiple BLM Notices and Proposed Rules with links to comment pages. Constantly updated. https://www.esa.org/public-policy/stay-informed/federal-register-opportunities/

3.     July 14, 2019 Multiple Ozone Standards - EPA is doing this state-by-state. https://www.regulations.gov/searchResults?rpp=25&po=0&s=ozone&fp=true&ns=true

4.      Comments must be received on or before midnight EDT September 25, 2020. Exposure of Underground Miners to Diesel Exhaust Request for Information; reopening of the rulemaking record for public comments. Because of comments, comment period extended to Sept. 25, 2020. https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=MSHA-2014-0031-0185 Federal Register version comment period ends 09/25/2020 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/03/25/2019-05443/exposure-of-underground-miners-to-diesel-exhaust  Update - “The comment period for the request for information, published on June 8, 2016 (81 FR 36826), which was scheduled to close on March 26, 2019 (58 FR 12904) is extended. An important comment here: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=MSHA-2014-0031-0180 "This reopened RFI takes into account information originally gathered and shared from NIOSH, NCI, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) which shows a correlation to exposure to diesel exhaust, a classified human carcinogen, and negative impact on miners health (Exposure of Underground Miners to Diesel Exhaust, 81 Fed. Reg. 110, 36826-36827 (June 8, 2016). On page 36827, stakeholders, MSHA, and the Diesel Exhaust Health Effects Partnership (Partnership) decided that more research and complex questions needed to be gathered and answered before allowing miners to continue working in DPM in the air. Potential for new technology and stricter standards that are in compliance with EPA DPM standards. "https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=MSHA-2014-0031-0182 And this study: https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/press-releases/2012/DieselMinersPressRelease

5.      5/20/2019. EPA Plan to change method of reporting pollution deaths. "E.P.A. Plans to Get Thousands of Pollution Deaths Off the Books by Changing Its Math".  Not posted yet as a proposal. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/20/climate/epa-air-pollution-deaths.html: Several people with knowledge of the EPA plan told the New York Times that using a new analytical model to calculate air pollution deaths could make it easier for the federal government to move forward with eliminating the Clean Power Plan, a key climate change rule put into place under the Obama administration.  Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/27/us/politics/trump-climate-science.html https://www.columbiamissourian.com/editorial-air-likely-to-be-more-polluted-under-new-epa/article_7ae47774-8238-11e9-befa-8b81c28c91d2.html

6.      2019 BLM oil and gas lease sales - still for sale. Document listing all projects : https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/116438/162409/198093/2018.11.15_DNA_doc_March_2019_OGLsSa.pdf Website listing upcoming sales: https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/nepa/nepa_register.do  And the site doing the selling where you can buy leases starting at $2 and acre: https://www.energynet.com/govt_listing.plSee the calendar of government leases sales here: https://www.energynet.com/calendar.pl

7.      BLM’s own e-planningsite: 

Section III - CIVIL RIGHTS, TITLE IX, HEALTH, EDUCATION, FOOD, BANKING, HOUSING and FCC


2.      Coming as a proposed regulation. From June: Proposal to recalculate how the Federal government calculates poverty rates so as to reduce benefits to poor people. This was a notice - proposed rule will follow sometime. I'm putting this here as a place-holder because it’s coming. https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=OMB-2019-0002-0001  Article about it here: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/07/us/politics/trump-poverty-level-proposal.html

3.      May-June 2019 Concerted Attack on Civil Rights. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1WH2B132JsR2fSqylMATCHmU-9BCq4bMs Learn more about the proposed regulation and how to fight it here (you can submit a comment).:  https://protecttranshealth.org/

4.      Extending Medicaid provisions: Some include work-requirements. These are by state. Some have comments open - usual time period is one month. Those with open comments are at the top of the list. https://public.medicaid.gov/connect.ti/public.comments/whatsNew


6.      Not posted as a regulation but followed as policy.  State Medicaid block grants. Many view this as a way to cut Medicaid to individuals. Also see link to state updates above. https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-what-to-watch-in-2019-from-the-administration-congress-and-the-states/  https://www.kff.org/health-reform/fact-sheet/tracking-section-1332-state-innovation-waivers/

7.      Kaiser Health News take here:https://khn.org/news/block-grants-medicaid-faq/


Federal Government Sites:

1.      https://www.fedcenter.gov/news/regs/

2.      Overview of Trump Regulatory actions: See White House Complete Government “Reform” plan - it is sweeping and alarming: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Government-Reform-and-Reorg-Plan.pdf  and their regulations office: https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/information-regulatory-affairs/

3.      Tracking regulations by Agency and Industry: https://quantgov.org/federal_regulation_tracker/

4.      USCIS Federal Register Announcements: https://www.uscis.gov/legal-resources/uscis-federal-register-announcements

Non-governmental sites providing up-to-date overviews and discussions of regulatory rollbacks:

1.      Trump’s regulatory agenda - status, challenges, enforcement or lack of, etc. https://www.govexec.com/management/2019/02/many-ways-gauge-results-trumps-deregulatory-push/155195/

2.      Overview of regulatory rollbacks: https://sensiblesafeguards.org/

3.      General advice on comment on regulations, includes a search tool: https://demcastusa.com/2019/10/03/how-to-public-comment-on-federal-regula tions/

4.      Discussion of regulations.gov ongoing and upcoming issues from Yale Law and ABA
http://yalejreg.com/nc/ and for discussion of banking, commerce, and energy regulation – http://yalejreg.com/

5.      Department of Transportation. Employment - hours of service - tracking trucking driver regulations:

6.      Employment law tracker: https://www.nelp.org/tracker/ Weekly updates on Trump effects on labor. See also: https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/blog/dols-regulatory-to-do-list-tackles-flsa-fmla-and-work-visa-issues/



9.      Tracking Alaska Oil and Gas drilling: https://inletkeeper.org/our-work/energy-alaska/oil-gas/


11.  Brookings Institution “Tracking Deregulation in the Trump Era.” https://www.brookings.edu/interactives/tracking-deregulation-in-the-trump-era/ and 

12.  Rules at Risk: https://rulesatrisk.org/

13.  For state impact - listed by state: https://www.trinityconsultants.com/news/states


15.  EPA Dozens of proposals for significant new uses of chemicals. Too many to list here but this link will take you to the current proposals. https://www.regulations.gov/searchResults?rpp=25&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&np=7&dct=N%2BPR%2BFR&cp=O&a=EPA  This is an article on the EPA rush to reclassify chemicals and toxic substances from the Environmental Defense Fund: http://blogs.edf.org/health/2018/09/19/the-tsca-new-chemicals-mess-a-problem-of-the-chemical-industrys-own-making/ https://www.edf.org/blog/2019/06/17/7-ways-trumps-epa-breaking-our-bipartisan-chemical-safety-law

16.  Upcoming Public Federal Meetings and Comment opportunities on the environment/ecology:  https://www.esa.org/esablog/federal-register-opportunities/ https://www.esa.org/esablog/federal-register-opportunities/

17.  Law of the Land Project from Center for American Progress. Tracks regulations and litigation with status updates. https://www.lawofthelandproject.org/

18.  EPA’s own Inspector General report critical of EPA biosludge policy and public health risks: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-11/documents/_epaoig_20181115-19-p-0002.pdf



21.  Federal Facilities Environmental Stewardship Center - where the Feds deal seriously with climate change: https://www.fedcenter.gov/news/regs/ See American Institute of Physics Report on Trump admin. plan for research and development - https://www.aip.org/fyi/2018/trump-administration-identifies-rd-priorities-its-next-budget-request and DOE 2019 plan - https://www.aip.org/fyi/2018/fy19-budget-request-doe-applied-rd-slashed-again

22.  Healthcare: Overview of Medicare financial plans for hospitals for 2019-2020. https://www.advisory.com/research/revenue-cycle-advancement-center/at-the-margins/2019/04/ipps-rule

23.  HHS healthcare rollbacks, proposed regulations and proposed legislation from Congress. https://www.natlawreview.com/article/mcdermottplus-check-february-15-2019



26.  Immigration - good summary of all public charge rules at several government agencies - USCIS, DOJ, DOS: https://www.aila.org/advo-media/issues/all/public-charge-changes-at-uscis-doj-and-dos

27.  Immigration law resources - great resource: https://www.aila.org/infonet

28.  Medicare/ACA tracking changes: https://blog.medicarerights.org/category/medicare-watch/

29.  Native American issues. https://turtletalk.blog/

30.  Public Lands Tracking legal battles over the future of America’s public lands: https://www.lawofthelandproject.org/

31.  SEC Regulatory site: https://www.sec.gov/rules.shtml for information on proposed changes to financial rule and markets.

32.  Department of Transportation New and pending rules. https://www.transportation.gov/regulations/report-on-significant-rulemakings

33.  USDA Regulatory actions: http://www.afdo.org/blog/7879271

34.  For effective Commenting on Regulations, please read https://www.regulations.gov/docs/Tips_For_Submitting_Effective_Comments.pdf and  “How to Comment on EPA dockets”: https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets

35.  Proposed “Regulatory Reform Agenda”: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/jsp/Utilities/index.jsp

36.  Search and track all Federal regulations at https://regulations.justia.com/


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