DOE issued a notice of intent to immediately commence on-the-record hearings before administrative law judges in civil penalty cases for violations of DOE’s conservation standards and certification requirements.

FERC announced the availability of a settlement agreement filed with the Commission that includes environmental protection, mitigation, and enhancement measures at a hydroelectric project in Saratoga and Rensselaer Counties, New York. 

HUD explained how the Department designates small public housing agencies (PHAs); implements provisions from §209 of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act that reduce regulatory burden on small PHAs by reducing the number of inspections required for units with §8(o) voucher assistance; and provides an exemption from environmental review requirements for development and modernization projects that have a total cost of not more than $100,000.

The president issued Exec. Order No. 13892 on October 9, 2019, Promoting the Rule of Law Through Transparency and Fairness in Civil Administrative Enforcement and Adjudication; among other things, the order clarifies that agencies may not treat noncompliance with standards of conduct announced solely in guidance documents as violations of applicable statutes or regulations when taking an administrative enforcement action or engaging in adjudication, and requires agencies to publish in the Federal Register any decision in an agency adjudication, administrative order, or agency document on which the agency relies to assert a new or expanded claim of jurisidiction.

EPA proposed to promulgate regulations that increase consistency and transparency in considering costs and benefits when making regulatory decisions. 

EPA seeks public comment on its periodic retrospective review of agency regulations to promote regulatory modernization through business-process streamlining, facilitated by improved technology.

EPA seeks comment on three regulatory actions currently under review pursuant to §610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards and Highway Diesel Fuel Sulfur Control Requirements; NESHAP: Reinforced Plastic Composites Production; and NPDES Permit Regulation and Effluent Limitations Guidelines Standards for CAFOs.

The president issued Executive Order No. 13614, which provides the order of succession for the office of the Administrator of EPA.

The president issued Executive Order No. 13610 to modernize the regulatory system and to reduce unjustified regulatory burdens and costs.