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Regulatory Compliance News & Updates
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FEATURED NEWS
2026-07-24T05:00:00Z
NewsPesticidesPesticidesChange NoticesChange NoticeEnvironmentalPesticide ManagementEnglishMichiganFocus AreaPesticides
Michigan updates fertilizer bulk storage requirements
Effective date: July 2, 2026
This applies to: Commercial bulk fertilizer storage facilities
Description of change: The amendments increase requirements related to physical and structural redundancy, maintenance, and recordkeeping. The rules align with the standards of the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO) and the regulations established by similarly situated states. Some of the changes include:
- Requiring every storage container to have a liquid level gauging device;
- Requiring storage containers and appurtenances to be fenced, locked, or otherwise secured to protect against vandalism or unauthorized access that could result in a discharge; and
- Allowing alternative diking for large storage tanks that use double steel wall systems.
Further, the rules require the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to preapprove the construction of new or the modification of existing containment systems and operational areas.
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2026-07-24T05:00:00Z
NewsHazardous WasteWaste GeneratorsWaste ManifestsWasteEnglishWaste/HazWasteNew MexicoNew Mexico Environment Department (NMED)Waste HandlersChange NoticesChange NoticeWasteWaste ManagementEnvironmentalWaste PermittingFocus AreaWaste Reporting
New Mexico classifies AFFF as hazardous waste
Effective date: August 1, 2026
This applies to: Entities regulated by the New Mexico hazardous waste regulations
Description of change: The New Mexico Hazardous Waste Bureau adopted amendments and a new rule to regulate aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) containing intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Changes include:
- Classifying AFFF with intentionally added PFAS as a hazardous waste (subject to New Mexico’s hazardous waste regulations); and
- Establishing regulations for AFFF with intentionally added PFAS, including:
- A periodic inventory of the substance,
- Restricting the use of AFFF to emergency purposes only, and
- Requiring cleanup of discarded AFFF according to the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Act regulations.
Note that the operational restrictions (20.13.3 NMAC) take effect on August 1, 2026, and the disposal and cleanup rules (20.4.1) take effect on December 1, 2026.
Related state info: Hazardous waste generators — New Mexico
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2026-07-24T05:00:00Z
NewsHazardous WasteWaste HandlersChange NoticesChange NoticeWasteWaste/HazWasteWaste ManagementEnvironmentalNevadaEnglishFocus Area
Nevada revises hazardous waste recycling rules
Effective date: July 1, 2026
This applies to: Facilities and mobile units that manage recyclable materials classified as hazardous waste or hazardous secondary materials
Description of change: The Nevada State Environmental Commission adopted amendments to the hazardous waste recycling program regulations. Changes include:
- Establishing one regulatory regime for facilities managing recyclable materials classified as either hazardous waste or hazardous secondary materials;
- Exempting certain facilities or mobile units from the requirement to obtain a written determination from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources before construction and providing that such facilities must comply with certain federal requirements, local zoning requirements if applicable, reporting and notification requirements, and other regulations;
- Exempting certain facilities (if they’re subject to local zoning requirements) from prohibitions on the locations where new or expanding stationary facilities that manage hazardous waste may be built; and
- Establishing an annual $5,000 fee for:
- A written determination issued to new facilities or mobile units that the facilities or units will operate for recycling hazardous waste; and
- Existing facilities that recycle certain hazardous waste and are subject to specific federal recycling requirements.
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2026-07-24T05:00:00Z
NewsTiresCMV Parts and MaintenanceTransportationIn-Depth ArticleCommercial motor vehicle definitionEnglishCommercial motor vehicle definitionBusiness planning - Motor CarrierIndustry NewsFederal Motor Carrier Safety RegulationsFleet SafetyElectronic logging device (ELD)Electronic logging device (ELD)Maintenance and periodic inspectionsFocus AreaVehicle weight definitionsUSA
5 important DOT rule changes just went into effect
Five important rule changes from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) just went into effect. While four of them removed recordkeeping obligations, a fifth serves as a reminder that commercial trucks can be regulated even if they weigh less than 10,001 pounds.
All five changes took effect July 21-22, 2026. The following is a summary of the changes and their impact on fleet operations, along with key precautions.
1. ELD user’s manuals
Drivers are no longer required to carry an electronic logging device (ELD) user’s manual in the vehicle.
The FMCSA says the requirement no longer provides a meaningful safety benefit because ELDs have been in widespread use since 2019 and many devices either contain electronic versions of the manual or provide easy access to it online.
Caution: Drivers must still carry ELD transfer and malfunction instructions, along with at least 5 blank logs. Carrying the user manual remains a good idea, since drivers must be able to transfer ELD data and demonstrate how the device works during an inspection.
2. Roadside inspection reports
For years, motor carriers were required to return completed roadside inspection reports to the issuing state agency after correcting any defects. That federal requirement has now been scaled back.
Under the rule change, motor carriers must return the report only if the issuing state requests it. The FMCSA acknowledged that many states either didn’t want, didn’t review, or simply discarded the returned reports, making the blanket federal requirement unnecessary.
Caution: Important compliance duties remain unchanged. Motor carriers must still correct cited defects, certify that repairs were made, and retain the report for 12 months.
3. CDL driver violation reports
Commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders no longer have to self-report traffic convictions to their home state. The FMCSA eliminated the requirement because states exchange conviction information electronically.
Caution: Drivers must still report traffic convictions to their employer within 30 days, and some states may continue to impose their own reporting requirements.
4. Tire size
Another little-known change removes the requirement for maintenance records to identify tire size.
The tire-size entry had been part of the vehicle maintenance file requirements for decades, with many motor carriers and auditors unsure of its purpose. The FMCSA determined the recordkeeping requirement had become obsolete and removed it from 49 CFR 396.3.
Caution: Motor carriers must still maintain maintenance records and vehicle identification information, including the company number (if marked on the vehicle), make, serial number, and year.
5. GVWR clarification
The fifth change is technically a clarification, but it may have the greatest practical impact.
The FMCSA revised the definition of “gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)” in 49 CFR 390.5 to make perfectly clear that a vehicle’s GVWR is the manufacturer’s maximum loaded weight rating and does not change based on the vehicle’s actual weight.
More importantly, the agency explained that a vehicle with a GVWR of 10,001 pounds or more, operating in interstate commerce, remains a commercial motor vehicle even when its scale weight is below 10,001 pounds.
This clarification targets a common misunderstanding among operators of cargo vans, pickup trucks, box trucks, and other smaller vehicles. Some carriers assume they are outside the FMCSA’s jurisdiction because the vehicle’s actual weight is under 10,001 pounds. The agency has now made it clear that enforcement officials rely on the weight or the rating – whichever is higher at the time of inspection.
Caution: The clarification doesn’t create a new requirement, but it may expose compliance gaps that some smaller operations never realized they had. Make sure you know the GVWR across your fleet and ensure compliance for all regulated vehicles, even when they’re empty.
Key to remember: Four DOT regulation changes, now in effect, reduce paperwork and reporting burdens. A fifth change does the opposite: It reinforces that a vehicle’s GVWR, not its actual weight on a given day, determines whether the vehicle falls under FMCSA safety regulations.
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2026-07-24T05:00:00Z
NewsGreenhouse GasesAir EmissionsChange NoticesChange NoticeColoradoCAA ComplianceEnvironmentalFocus AreaEnglishAir ProgramsAir Programs
Colorado revises annual emissions reporting requirements
Effective date: July 15, 2026
This applies to: Sources subject to Regulations 3 and 7 annual reporting requirements
Description of change: The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission amended Regulation Numbers 3 and 7. The revisions:
- Remove the duplicate greenhouse gas (GHG) air pollutant emission notice (APEN) reporting requirement for sources required by Regulation Number 22 to report GHG emissions annually;
- Streamline reporting requirements for annual estimated emissions reports required by Regulation Numbers 3 and 7 (for certain non-oil and gas sector sources and for upstream and midstream oil and gas sector sources, respectively) by specifying that their Emissions Reporting Notices (ERNs) will satisfy the requirements to submit revised APENs due to a change in actual emissions or solely before expiration;
- Increase existing fees for APEN submissions, annual emissions, and application processing required by Regulation Number 3; and
- Add a fee for filing ERNs required by Regulation 7 on a per-emission-point basis (with plans to require fees from all annual reporters eventually).
Streamlined reporting begins in 2027 for Regulation Number 7 annual emissions reports for calendar year 2026 emissions. The ERN filing fee for Regulation Number 7 reporters starts with the ERN filed in 2027 for calendar year 2026 emissions.
Related state info: Clean air operating permits state comparison
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NewsIndustry NewsSafety & HealthConstruction SafetyLockout/TagoutGeneral Industry SafetyIn-Depth ArticleEnglishLockout/Tagout Periodic EvaluationFocus AreaUSA
July
What your LOTO periodic inspection might be missing
The locks came off. The equipment started up. Everything seemed normal. Then someone got hurt. Too often, hazardous energy incidents happen because a lockout/tagout procedure no longer reflects how the work is being done. That’s where periodic inspections come in. Each year, workers are seriously injured or killed when hazardous energy is not properly controlled. OSHA also continues to rank lockout/tagout among its most frequently cited standards.
Where lockout/tagout programs start to drift
Most lockout/tagout programs gradually lose effectiveness when procedures are assumed to be correct rather than verified. A strong periodic inspection can identify small gaps and help keep procedures accurate before those gaps become serious hazards. Common warning signs include:
- Equipment modifications that never make it into the written procedure;
- Authorized employees following different steps for the same machine;
- Procedures that have not been reviewed since they were created;
- New employees learning from coworkers instead of the documented procedure; or
- Lockout/tagout practices that vary between shifts.
The compliance side of periodic evaluations
Under OSHA's lockout/tagout standard (29 CFR 1910.147), employers must conduct a periodic inspection of each energy control procedure at least annually. The inspection must be performed by an authorized employee other than the employee using the procedure being inspected. The inspection is intended to verify that:
- The procedure is being followed;
- Employees understand their responsibilities; and
- The procedure continues to provide effective protection from hazardous energy.
OSHA also requires employers to certify that the inspection was completed. At a minimum, the certification must identify the machine or equipment, the inspection date, the employees included in the inspection, and the person performing the inspection. If deficiencies or deviations are identified, employers must take corrective action. That may mean revising the procedure, providing retraining, or both.
Making periodic inspections more meaningful
Inspections help verify that energy control procedures remain accurate; employees are following them correctly, and small gaps are identified before they become serious hazards. The strongest periodic inspections look at what's happening on the floor as well as what's written in the procedure. Start with these checks:
Observe the procedure: Watch an authorized employee perform the lockout process. Compare what is happening in the field against what is written in the procedure.
Verify equipment accuracy: Confirm that energy sources, isolation points, disconnects, and verification steps still match the equipment configuration.
Discuss responsibilities: Use the inspection as an opportunity to review employee responsibilities and answer questions about the procedure.
Look for changes: Consider equipment modifications, process changes, new tooling, or updated operating practices that may require revisions to the procedure.
Document and follow up: Record findings, address deficiencies promptly, and retrain employees when needed.
Key to remember: A lockout/tagout procedure is only effective if it reflects current conditions. Periodic inspections can help keep hazardous energy programs working as intended.
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Copyright 2026 J. J. Keller & Associate, Inc. For re-use options please contact copyright@jjkeller.com or call 800-558-5011.