Regulatory Compliance News & Updates
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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.
FEATURED NEWS
2026-03-13T05:00:00Z
NewsIndustry NewsCERCLA, SARA, EPCRACommunity Right to KnowToxics Release Inventory ReportingEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)EnvironmentalIn-Depth ArticleEnglishSARA ComplianceFocus AreaUSA
Toxics Release Inventory: Are you ready to report?
Every year at the beginning of July, industrial facilities across the nation can breathe a collective sigh of relief — their annual inventories of toxic chemicals are complete! To ensure that your facility can be part of that celebration (and avoid a chaotic rush to meet the deadline), now’s the perfect time to start preparing for the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI).
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) TRI program requires industrial facilities to report waste management data on certain toxic chemicals they manufacture, process, and use by July 1 each year. Is your facility ready to report? Here’s an overview of the TRI program to help you answer this question.
Who’s covered by TRI reporting?
Generally, TRI reporting applies if the facility:
- Is in a covered industry sector (40 CFR 372.23);
- Employs 10 or more full-time-equivalent employees; and
- Manufactures, processes, or otherwise uses a covered chemical or chemical category (372.65) in quantities above the threshold levels (372.25, .27, and .28) in a given year.
TRI tip: The TRI reporting year (RY) reflects the calendar year covered by the report, not the year in which you submit the report. For example, TRI reports for RY 2025 are due by July 1, 2026.
What’s covered by TRI reporting?
Facilities must submit the TRI Form R (or the streamlined Form A Certification Statement if eligible) for each TRI-listed chemical manufactured, processed, or used during the previous calendar year. The data covers chemical waste management activities (including releases to the environment) and any actions taken to reduce or prevent chemical waste.
Facilities usually report for each chemical:
- The quantities of releases (routine and accidental),
- Any releases caused by catastrophic or other one-time events,
- The maximum amount on-site during the year, and
- The amount contained in wastes managed on-site or transferred off-site.
What’s new for RY 2025?
The TRI reports for RY 2025 contain three differences from previous years:
- The de minimis level for anthracene was lowered from 1.0 percent to 0.1 percent. Anthracene’s Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number (CASRN) is 120-12-7.
- More activity sub-use codes were added to the sub-use codes for “processing” and “otherwise use” activities.
- Nine per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were added to the TRI chemical list:
| EPA registry name | CASRN |
|---|---|
| 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate acid | 27619-97-2 |
| 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate ammonium salt | 59587-39-2 |
| 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate anion | 425670-75-3 |
| 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate potassium salt | 59587-38-1 |
| 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate sodium salt | 27619-94-9 |
| Acetic acid, [(.gamma.-.omega.-perfluoro-C8-10-alkyl)thio] derivs., Bu esters | 3030471-22-5 |
| Ammonium perfluorodecanoate | 3108-42-7 |
| Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid | 377-73-1 |
| Sodium perfluorodecanoate | 3830-45-3 |
How are TRI reports submitted?
Facilities must submit TRI reports electronically to the TRI-MEweb application on EPA’s Central Data Exchange (CDX). Even if a facility uses its own software to prepare TRI forms, it must upload and submit the forms to TRI-MEweb.
TRI tip: To complete the submission process on TRI-MEweb, you need to assign one user the Preparer role and another user the Certifying Official role. Ensure both users have added TRI-MEweb to their CDX user accounts.
TRI reports must be submitted to both EPA and the state. If your facility’s state participates in the TRI Data Exchange (TDX), TRI-MEweb will automatically send your report to the state. If your facility’s state doesn’t participate, you must send a hard copy of the report to the TRI state contact.
TRI tip: Use EPA’s “TRI Data Exchange” webpage to determine whether your facility’s state participates in TDX. As of March 2026, all 50 states participate in TDX. The District of Columbia doesn’t participate.
More TRI tips
Keep these things in mind when preparing your TRI reports:
- You must submit a Form R (or Form A if eligible) for each TRI-listed chemical your facility manufactured, processed, or otherwise used above the threshold quantity.
- TRI data is publicized. If a chemical’s identity needs to be protected, you have to submit substantiation forms to claim the chemical identity as a trade secret. EPA must approve the claims. Further, for each chemical with a trade secret claim, you have to mail hard copies of the substantiation forms and the corresponding Form R (or Form A if eligible) to EPA and the state.
- EPA’s online GuideME platform offers comprehensive guidance for TRI reporting, including reporting forms and instructions, the TRI chemical list, and Q&As.
- Contact the state environmental agency directly to confirm the submission method. EPA’s “TRI State Contacts” webpage contains state contact information.
- Register your facility on CDX or ensure your facility’s CDX account is updated as soon as possible to avoid delays caused by technical issues.
Start preparing for TRI reporting now to give your facility plenty of time to gather data, complete the forms, and respond to unexpected issues that could arise. That way, your facility can breathe easily throughout the whole reporting season.
Key to remember: The submission deadline for TRI reporting is July 1, 2026. Make sure your facility is ready to report.
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RECENT INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS
2026-03-13T05:00:00Z
NewsTime ClocksTraining & DevelopmentExpert InsightsUSAHR ManagementEnglishTalent Management & RecruitingAssociate Benefits & CompensationIndustry NewsWage and HourWage and HourHours WorkedMinimum WageFair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)Non-Exempt employees HR GeneralistOvertimeAssociate RelationsFocus AreaHuman Resources
Expert Insights: Off-the-clock work means you’re on the hook
Do any of your nonexempt (“hourly”) employees ever say something like:
- “I’ll just eat lunch at my desk.”
- “I’ll read that report over lunch.”
- “I can multitask during lunch to get that project done.”
Casual statements like these — perhaps said to a supervisor in passing — should set off alarm bells for HR professionals. These seemingly benign comments could indicate the potential for wage and hour violations if employees are allowed to work off the clock when they’re supposed to be on a meal break.
If your company has staff working through their lunch to answer phones or monitor the front desk, make sure they’re getting paid properly for that work time, and aren’t working off the clock.
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires that a nonexempt (“hourly”) employee be paid time and one-half the regular rate for all hours worked beyond 40 during a workweek. In order to determine what overtime is owed, hours worked must be calculated. Usually, that’s relatively simple. Hours worked includes all the time the employee is doing principal duties, whether directed to do so or merely permitted to do so. Volunteer or off-the-clock work must be counted.
Employers that ignore when employees work off the clock could be on the hook for wage and hour claims, fines, penalties, and more. This is why management training is so important. Managers need to know the risks involved if they let employees work through their lunches. It might not seem like a big deal on the front end, especially if there are deadlines to meet. But the risks of violating these types of employment laws can jeopardize a company in the long run.
It's also good to train your employees in proper timecard recordkeeping. Remind them to only work their assigned hours and to track all their time correctly. While being dedicated to work is admirable, it’s not good if it comes at the cost of a burnt-out employee who’s working more hours than they’re being paid.
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2026-03-12T05:00:00Z
NewsIndustry NewsHuman ResourcesHR GeneralistFocus AreaIn-Depth ArticleUSAHR ManagementEnglishDisabilities and ADADisabilities and ADAReasonable Accommodations
Yes, employers may reevaluate remote work accommodations
During the COVID-19 pandemic, employers sent many employees home to work. This strategy was effective for several years. As the disease risks faded, though, employers began requiring employees to return to the physical workplace. As a result, employees began — and continue — to ask to work from home as an accommodation under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Employers might wonder if they must keep providing such accommodations.
Not necessarily, but employers must tread carefully.
Reassess the need for accommodation
After employers grant an accommodation, they may assess whether there continues to be a need for the accommodation based on individualized circumstances, including whether alternative accommodations might meet the employee’s needs.
Employers have the discretion to choose between effective accommodations. This means employees aren’t necessarily entitled to their preferred accommodation forever. Employers may, therefore, reevaluate a previously granted remote work accommodation and replace it with an effective, reasonable one. When there are several reasonable and effective options, employers may choose an accommodation other than remote work.
Don’t hide under a blanket
Employers shouldn’t take a blanket approach to rescind and deny all remote work accommodations. In some cases, employees will continue to need remote work as an accommodation. Employers need to look at each situation individually, based on its own merits.
When to reassess the type of accommodation
Employers should occasionally reevaluate accommodations in response to changes, such as changes to:
- An employee’s condition,
- Job requirements,
- Operational needs, and
- A related law.
Employers might also, for example, find it helpful to reevaluate a remote work accommodation once a year to confirm the accommodation remains effective and manageable.
After reassessment
If supported by an individualized assessment, employers may allow the employee to continue to work remotely if doing so is necessary to ensure continued compliance with the ADA.
If, however, reevaluation and individualized assessment demonstrate that an employee no longer needs remote work as an accommodation, employers may replace it with a reasonable and effective in-office option (or combination of options). This can include, but isn’t limited to, assistive devices, modified equipment, environmental modifications (sound, smell, light, etc.), job restructuring, modified or flexible work scheduling, etc. It can also include reducing remote work, combined with in-office accommodations, provided the result is still reasonable and effective.
Key to remember: Employers may review whether employees continue to need remote work accommodations. Employers may rescind remote work accommodations if they no longer suit employee or company needs, but they might have to provide an alternative solution.
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2026-03-12T05:00:00Z
NewsIndustry NewsEnglishFleet SafetyCMV Parts and MaintenanceParts and Accessories - Motor CarrierWarning devicesFocus AreaIn-Depth ArticleUSAEnforcement - DOTRoadside InspectionsTransportationRear bumper
3 key trucking rule changes coming soon
Drivers and motor carriers should face fewer citations starting later this month, once some important rule changes go into effect.
Vehicle-related requirements that have long frustrated fleets and enforcement officials alike are being revised or eliminated as of March 23 and April 20, 2026. While their impact is relatively narrow, carriers should understand what’s changing and how to protect themselves if roadside enforcement isn’t up to speed.
1. Rear-impact guard labels
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is removing the requirement that rear-impact guards be permanently labeled. Under current rules, trailers are required to have a label certifying that the rear underride guard met federal manufacturing standards at the time it was built.
Though the label is applied by the manufacturer, motor carriers and drivers were expected to ensure it remained in place, a sometimes-frustrating task stretching over the lifetime of the vehicle.
Why the change? The bumper label requirement has been controversial for years. Enforcement agencies and industry groups repeatedly pointed out that the labels frequently fade, wear off, or are removed during repairs, even though the guard itself remains structurally compliant.
Compounding the problem, most manufacturers will not issue replacement certification labels or “re-certify” guards once they leave the factory. As a result, carriers were often cited for a condition they had no practical way to correct.
Although FMCSA previously issued guidance instructing inspectors not to cite missing or illegible labels, confusion persisted at the roadside. Eliminating the requirement altogether resolves that enforcement disconnect without altering the underlying safety standards for rear-impact guards.
What should carriers do?
- Continue inspecting rear-impact guards for structural integrity, mounting, height, and width as required under 49 CFR 393.86 and the annual inspection standards in Appendix A to Part 396.
- Don’t remove existing labels, but understand that their presence (or absence) will no longer determine compliance.
- Update inspection checklists and training materials to remove label verification as a compliance item.
2. Tractor license-plate lamps
Truck tractors will no longer be required to have a functioning rear license-plate lamp while towing a trailer. The lamp will still be required when the tractor is operating without a trailer, however.
Why the change? When a tractor is coupled to a trailer, the rear license plate and its lamp are typically obscured and serve no practical enforcement or safety purpose. The FMCSA concluded that requiring carriers to maintain a lamp that isn’t visible or relevant during normal operations added unnecessary maintenance costs without a safety benefit.
What should carriers do?
- Review maintenance policies to ensure tractors still have operational license-plate lamps when operated bobtail.
- Ensure drivers and maintenance personnel understand when a functioning license-plate lamp is required.
3. Emergency equipment
Drivers will no longer be required to carry spare fuses starting April 20, and they will no longer have the option to use liquid-burning flares as warning devices after March 23. Reflective triangles and/or solid-fuel flares will still be required, as will fire extinguishers.
The rule change for fuses is significant because over 10,000 drivers were cited in 2025 for failing to have them.
Why the change? The spare‑fuse requirement has remained in the regulations for decades, even as vehicle electrical systems have improved. The FMCSA concluded that:
- Blown fuses rarely occur during normal operation and, when they do, the repair is typically handled by maintenance personnel rather than drivers. Nevertheless, spare fuses are widely available at truck stops.
- Other regulations already prohibit operation of a vehicle when required electrical equipment isn’t functioning properly, regardless of whether spare parts are carried.
Similarly, liquid-burning flares are widely considered obsolete and are rarely used in modern fleet operations. Their continued presence in the regulations caused confusion.
What should carriers do?
- Verify that emergency-equipment kits contain at least three compliant reflective triangles or six flares, as appropriate.
- Update driver inspection checklists to remove spare fuses as required items and liquid-burning flares as an option. Motor carriers are free to continue having their drivers carry spare fuses, however.
- Remind drivers that vehicles may not be operated if required electrical systems are inoperative, regardless of whether a spare fuse is available.
What if you’re cited?
Roadside enforcement practices don’t always change overnight. In addition, states that enforce the FMCSA regulations may adopt different effective dates for rule changes. Motor carriers and drivers should be vigilant about reviewing roadside inspection reports and challenging any citations that were issued improperly.
Bearing in mind that state requirements may vary, motor carriers should use the online DataQs system to challenge any erroneous bumper label or license-plate lamp violations cited after March 20, and any spare-fuse violations cited after April 20.
Key to remember: On March 23 and April 20, 2026, three important rule changes go into effect. Be sure your drivers, maintenance personnel, and others know the impact.
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2026-03-12T05:00:00Z
NewsAir QualityIndustry NewsIndustry NewsStationary Emission SourcesAir EmissionsEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)CAA ComplianceEnvironmentalFocus AreaEnglishAir ProgramsAir ProgramsUSA
EPA finalizes emission standards for large municipal waste combustors
On March 10, 2026, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized emission regulations for large municipal waste combustors (LMWCs). The final rule revises nearly all emission limits for new and existing LMWCs.
Who’s impacted?
The final rule applies to LMWCs that combust more than 250 tons per day of municipal solid waste and are covered by the:
- New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for new LMWCs, or
- Emission Guidelines (EGs) for existing LMWCs.
EPA established new subparts for the amendments at 40 CFR Part 60, including:
- Subpart VVVV for the NSPS, and
- Subpart WWWW for the EGs.
What are the changes?
Generally, stricter emission limits apply. For all LMWCs (new and existing), the rule revises the emission limits for:
- Cadmium,
- Hydrogen chloride,
- Lead,
- Mercury,
- Particulate matter,
- Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans, and
- Sulfur dioxide.
For all new LMWCs, the final rule revises the emission limits for carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). The final rule also amends the CO and NOx limits for all existing LMWCs, except for the CO limits for two subcategories of combustors and the NOx limits for two subcategories of combustors for new municipal solid waste incinerators.
Other major changes include:
- Removing certain exclusions and exemptions for startups, shutdowns, and malfunctions (requiring LMWCs to meet emission standards at all times);
- Removing the NOx emissions averaging compliance alternative for existing LMWCs;
- Amending recordkeeping and reporting requirements; and
- Eliminating Title V operating air permit requirements for qualifying air curtain incinerators that burn only wood waste, yard waste, and clean lumber.
What’s the compliance timeline?
When EPA updates EGs, states must revise their State Implementation Plans (SIPs) to incorporate the changes. States have to submit revised SIPs by March 10, 2027. Once EPA approves the SIP, facilities with existing LMWCs must meet the new standards either within 3 years of the SIP’s approval date or by March 10, 2031, whichever is earlier.
New LMWCs must comply with the amended NSPS by September 10, 2026, or upon startup, whichever is later.
Key to remember: EPA finalized stronger emission limits for new and existing large municipal waste combustors and made other changes to the standards.
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2026-03-12T05:00:00Z
NewsIndustry NewsIndustry NewsFleet SafetyEnglishFocus AreaHighway use - Mileage taxFleet TaxesFleet taxesTransportationUSA
New York pricing program to continue
On March 3, a federal judge ruled that New York’s Congestion Pricing Program would remain in effect after the program was challenged by the Secretary of the DOT. The court ruled that actions to end the pricing program were unlawful and not under the authority of the Trump administration.
The goal of the program is to reduce traffic congestion during peak hours and raise money for New York City’s public transportation. Funds for this project are primarily raised through tolls, charging certain vehicles different amounts depending on the location and time of entry to the city.
Background
According to the U.S. District Court, the Congestion Pricing Program was created in 2019 to “ensure a safe and efficient mass transit system within the city of New York and to protect the public health and safety of New York residents.”
Since the program began in January 2025, it has reduced traffic (60,000 fewer vehicles enter the congestion zone daily), improved air quality, and net revenue by October 2025 was at $467.8 million, according to data from New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
Secretary of the DOT Sean Duffy expressed concerns in early 2025, stating that New York lawmakers didn’t have the authority to increase tolling pricing, and that he was rescinding approval for the project.
The lawmakers of New York initiated a lawsuit against this action shortly after, stating that this termination was arbitrary, unlawful, and a violation of the 5th Amendment.
Recent developments
In January 2026, the president expressed plans to continue combating the pricing program. The Court noted that since the president is not party to the lawsuit, it cannot stop him from making public comment. Secretary Duffy has not objected to the Court’s declaration.
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