The end of July finds the Federal Register having roared back to life after a period of relative quiet; most of the action revolves around information requests versus rulemaking, but still, given how slow things have been in the US regulatory world, the activity is significant. See all the action below. PHMSA The nation’s DG…
DG Digest: PHMSA addresses ICAO and IMDG Code issues surrounding regulatory freeze
February wraps up with the “regulatory freeze” still in effect in the United States. As such, new US regulatory activity remains low. Rumors continue to swirl regarding imminent release of the USDOT/PHMSA HM-215N UN Harmonization; however, as of press time Monday morning it has not appeared and it is not presently on the schedule for…
DG Digest: Special Permit Delays, USPS Updates Pub 52, and the EPA’s New Tool
August is now in full swing, and the summer doldrums have, at least to a degree, struck the regulatory scene. It was a quiet week, in so far as it goes. However, here are the highlights, which do contain several items of interest: PHMSA: There was an announcement in reference to delayed applications in the…
Lithium Battery Regulations: Are Retailers Getting Their Shipments Together?
On Friday, August 7, 2015, the US Department of Transportation’s new lithium battery shipping rules went into effect. In the weeks since, retailers have handled the challenges of the new regulations as best they can. Many are still scrambling, as they adapt their shipping operations to rules that never applied to their business before. The…
US Postal Service Changes Certain DMM Hazardous Materials Regulations to Harmonize with USDOT Rules
Shippers of hazardous materials who ship products using the US Postal Service (USPS) may be pleased with a new ruling from that agency. In a response letter dated 31 January 2014 and addressed to the Council On Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles (COSTHA) in reference to a September 2013 inquiry made by that body, USPS…
US Postal Service Prohibits International Shipments of Lithium Batteries
Effective yesterday, the United States Postal Service (USPS) amended its mailing standards, the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), to incorporate provisions prohibiting the outbound international mailing of lithium batteries and devices containing lithium batteries. The move brings the USPS international mailing standards in line with recent actions by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the…