Lion's office will be closed on Friday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. For help with online training, please contact support@lion.com.
Search

Hazmat and EHS Provisions in Congress’ $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill

Posted on 12/18/2015 by Roger Marks

The US Congress this week passed a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill, which and the President is expected to sign into law. The spending bill includes a number of major policy positions, like lifting the 40-year export ban on crude oil and reauthorizing healthcare benefits for 9/11 emergency workers.



In addition to addressing these big issues, the bill includes some items of note for hazmat and hazardous waste shippers, EHS managers, and any business that’s subject to rules and regulations of the Department of Transportation (DOT) or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Here is a rundown of environmental and hazmat shipping–related items in the spending bill:
  • Provides funding for US EPA to develop, operate, maintain, and upgrade its electronic Hazardous Waste Manifest system (eManifests)
  • Allots $55.6 million for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to carry out its hazmat safety functions.
  • Requires PHMSA to “develop a hazardous materials response training curriculum for emergency responders, including response activities for the transportation of crude oil, ethanol and other flammable liquids by rail,” and make it available in an electronic format.
  • Requires PHMSA to create a rule to expand applicability of comprehensive oil spill response plans.
  • Prevents the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) from denying an application to renew a motor carrier’s hazardous materials safety program permit based on the carrier’s Hazardous Materials Out-of-Service rate without allowing the carrier to submit a written description of corrective actions taken.
  • Prohibits US EPA from creating regulations that require a Clean Air Act Title V permit for carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, water vapor, or methane emissions resulting from biological processes associated with livestock production
  • Prohibits US EPA from regulating lead content in ammunition under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
The full text of the appropriations bill is available here. Keep an eye on Lion News for more developments, if and when the bill is signed into law.

Build Confidence Navigating the Latest Regulations

Lion Technology will present hundreds of compliance workshops nationwide in 2016 to help hazmat shippers, manufacturers, and all regulated industry personnel comply with the latest regulations that affect US businesses. The 2016 schedule is now available at http://www.Lion.com/catalog. Attend any of Lion’s interactive, engaging workshops to meet domestic and international training requirements, get expertly designed reference materials to help you on the job, and benefit from one year of Membership for access to exclusive resources, answers to your compliance questions, and more! 

Tags: Clean Air Act, DOT, hazmat shipping, new rules, TSCA

Find a Post

Recent Posts

Compliance Topics

Compliance Archives

Lion - Quotes

The instructor clearly enjoys his job and transmits that enthusiasm. He made a dry subject very interesting and fun.

Teresa Arellanes

EHS Manager

I was able to present my scenario to the instructor and worked thru the regulations together. In the past, I attended another training firm's classes. Now, I have no intention of leaving Lion!

Diana Joyner

Senior Environmental Engineer

The instructor was very dedicated to providing a quality experience. She did her best to make sure students were really comprehending the information.

Stephanie Venn

Inventory Control Specialist

I like the consistency of Lion workshops. The materials are well put together and instructors are top notch!

Kevin Pylka

Permitting, Compliance & Environmental Manager

Much better than my previous class with another company. The Lion instructor made sense, kept me awake and made me laugh!

Marti Severs

Enterprise Safety Manager

The course is well thought out and organized in a way that leads to a clearer understanding of the total training.

David Baily

Hazmat Shipping Professional

Best instructor ever! I was going to take my DOT training w/a different provider, but based on this presentation, I will also be doing my DOT training w/Lion!

Donna Moot

Hazardous Waste Professional

The instructor had knowledge of regulations and understanding of real-world situations. The presentation style was engaging and fostered a positive atmosphere for information sharing.

Linda Arlen

Safety & Environmental Compliance Officer

I think LION does an excellent job of any training they do. Materials provided are very useful to my day-to-day work activities.

Pamela Embody

EHS Specialist

This is a very informative training compared to others. It covers everything I expect to learn and even a lot of new things.

Quatama Jackson

Waste Management Professional

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

Spot and correct 4 of the most common universal waste errors before they result in a notice of violation during a Federal or state inspection.

Download
Latest Whitepaper

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.