The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2017 changed the Tier II reporting requirements and format under the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA, Sections 311 and 312). Below are frequently asked questions on how these requirements, including changes on combustible dust reporting, may impact your facilities.
The Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently sought comments on a newly published proposed rulemaking on changes to its hours-of-service rules. The goal of the proposed rulemaking is to increase the safety on roadways by giving commercial drivers more flexibility in managing their schedules while maintaining the safety limits on driving time.
In September, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced a final rule to make 1.3 million American workers newly eligible for overtime pay. The final rule updates the earnings thresholds necessary in order to exempt executive, administrative and professional employees from the Fair Labor Standards Act's (FLSA) minimum wage and overtime pay requirements. The new thresholds account for growth in employee earnings since the thresholds were last updated in 2004. The rule will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020.
Recognizing that animal feed is a critical component in measuring the total environmental footprint of animal nutrition products, an international consortium came together in 2016 to establish a "global gold standard" for calculating the life-cycle analysis (LCA) of feed ingredients. Now, the founding partners of the Global Feed LCA Institute (GFLI) are establishing a legal non-profit institute, under the same name, to expand its work and make the data more widely available to stakeholders throughout the global food value chain.
The American Feed Industry Association has prepared a social media toolkit for members' use in social media Aug. 12-16, 2019, for OSHA's Safe + Sound Week.
Recently, there has been much confusion within the grain, feed and processing industries on whether a "Dust Hazard Analysis" is required for new or existing facilities.
Recently, there has been much confusion within the grain, feed and processing industries on whether a "Dust Hazard Analysis" is required for new or existing facilities.
This week, the American Feed Industry Association responded to the U.S. Occupational, Safety and Health Administration's request for information related to requirements in the standards on powered industrial trucks for general, maritime and construction industries.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is requesting information by early June to update its powered industrial trucks standards for general, maritime and construction industries.
Earlier this month, the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF) launched an online toolkit to provide guidance to the animal food industry on implementing the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals.
The American Feed Industry Association signed onto a letter to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) last month outlining why additional regulations on grain handling or the processing industry to mitigate combustible dust hazards are unnecessary.
On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers announced their new "waters of the U.S." proposal at an event that attracted dozens of farmers and industry leaders who have long-sought straightforward definitions that allow farmers to more clearly decide how to operate on their lands.
Democratic leaders of three House committees announced plans for two days of hearings early next year on the issue of climate change. With Democrats taking control of the House, they have vowed to renew their focus on the issue, even though Senate Republicans can block any resulting legislation.
On Oct. 18, the American Feed Industry Association's Board of Directors met in Arizona to discuss and review the association's business items and latest legislative and regulatory work. They also recognized Richard Sellers, AFIA's senior vice president of public policy and education, who will be retiring Dec. 31.
Last week, President Donald Trump signed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018 into law, reauthorizing investments in infrastructure improvements along inland American waterways. The law, which passed Congress with bipartisan support, was seen as a much-needed investment in U.S. infrastructure as it makes it easier to ship agricultural and other goods to U.S. ports and harbors.
Next week is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Safe + Sound Week, intended to raise awareness and understanding of safety and health programs. The American Feed Industry Association will be promoting safety in the feed industry on social media throughout the week. Be sure to follow along on AFIA's Facebook and Twitter and use the hashtag #SafeAndSound2018.
More than 35 state and national ag leaders convened last Friday at the North Carolina State Fair to "discuss the threat that nuisance lawsuits pose to the U.S. agriculture industry, rural America, and farm families nationwide." Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C., Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler hosted the roundtable to discuss the issue and solutions to these types of lawsuits.
On May 31, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released regulatory guidance that clarifies when the agricultural commodity exception is applicable in the hours of service (HOS) regulations in 49 CFR Part 395.
If you are a manufacturing facility with shippers that drop-off, pick-up or transport products within the state of New Jersey, you may want to pay attention to this alert. The New Jersey Division of Taxation is cracking down on truckers that transport goods in the Garden State that are not registered to pay the state's corporate business tax.
The American Feed Industry Association has partnered with the the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on the national Safe + Sound Campaign, which encourages workplaces in the United States to have a safety and health program as a way to identify and manage workplace hazards before they cause injury or illness.
Grain engulfment and the resulting suffocation is one of the leading causes of death in grain bins. In an effort to bring awareness to this issue and help prevent engulfment incidents, the American Feed Industry Association is a co-sponsor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Grain and Feed Association's "Stand-Up for Grain Engulfment Prevention Week," being held April 9-13.
The American Feed Industry Association hosted several spring committee meetings in conjunction with its Purchasing and Ingredient Suppliers Conference last week in Fort Worth, Texas. Two of the committees that met--the Equipment Manufacturers Committee (EMC) and the Production Compliance Committee (PCC)--often work together, so they took advantage of being in the same place at the same time to tour the recently opened Hayes & Stolz Industrial Manufacturing Co., LLC facility in Burleson, Texas.