NSSGA breaks down the latest Trump regulatory agenda

The Trump administration’s latest regulatory agenda offers some encouraging signs for the aggregate industry, according to the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA).

According to the association, the administration’s priorities include the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, Mine Safety Health & Administration (MSHA) improvements and the Endangered Species Act. The agenda does not include upcoming or expected actions by federal agencies, NSSGA says, but it does provide information on priorities for 2019.

On WOTUS, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expects to soon propose a replacement rule, with a repeal of the 2015 rule coming in March and a final replacement rule expected by next September, according to NSSGA.

With MSHA, NSSGA continues to advocate for modernized regulations within the agency, asking for updated training videos to “depict conditions and behavior that are genuinely compliant and safe” while also updating the manual on accident investigations. MSHA continues to request data and information on technologies that could reduce workplace incidents involving mobile equipment, the association adds. The agency’s public comment period on this topic ends Dec. 24.

Another area of interest to NSSGA is the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services seeks to ease permitting burdens affecting the Endangered Species Act. The association submitted comments on behalf of the aggregate industry in support of three EPA proposals that should “modernize the implementation of the [Endangered Species Act] and improve its efficiency and effectiveness.”

EPA expects final actions later this year on issues, including its revised favorable critical habitat definition and inter-agency cooperation, while also expecting to propose new rules in December 2019 on species management.