The Trump administration this week announced three regulatory measures with significant impact for ARTBA members:
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration published a request for information asking the regulated community to help clarify various aspects of the crystalline silica rule.
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released proposed changes to the federal Hours of Service (HOS) rules, which govern the amount of time truck drivers can spend on the road.
- An overhaul of the Endangered Species Act includes new limits to where the government can block development by declaring land as “critical habitat.”
The American Roads & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) says these three developments highlight the administration’s continued focus on removing unnecessary regulatory burdens from the project delivery process.
ARTBA also expects in the coming weeks to hear from the U.S. Department of Transportation about the potential repeal of a federal regulation that prohibits state and local governments from using patented or proprietary products on highway and bridge projects that receive federal funding unless those products qualify for limited exceptions. The rule was adopted in 1916 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which then managed the emerging federal-aid highway program.
Additionally, the administration is expected to continue to move forward on the repeal and replacement of the “waters of the United States” rule.
