Short Takes – 3-19-26 – Federal Register Edition

Nominations for Substances To Be Evaluated for Toxicological Profile Development. Federal Register ATSDR notice with comment period. Summary: “The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announces that it is soliciting nominations of substances to be evaluated for an upcoming set of toxicological profiles. ATSDR is opening a docket for the public to submit nominations and provide comments on which toxicological profiles are developed next. Members of the public, government agencies, or private organizations may comment on which substances they are concerned about so that ATSDR may take this information into consideration when developing future toxicological profiles.”

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Ethylene Oxide Emissions Standards for Sterilization Facilities Residual Risk and Technology Review Reconsideration. Federal Register EPA reconsideration of final rule NPRM. Summary: “Based on its reconsideration of the RTR in the 2024 Final Rule, the EPA is proposing to amend the Commercial Sterilization Facilities NESHAP. The amendments would rescind the risk based standards, revise the standard for new aeration room vents that resulted from the technology review, revise the compliance demonstration requirements, and rescind a requirement related to permanent total enclosure (PTE). This proposal also includes technical corrections and clarifications to the Commercial Sterilization Facilities NESHAP and Performance Specification 19 to address erroneous cross-references, omissions of text, and typographical errors in the regulatory text that the EPA has identified after publication of the 2024 Final Rule.”

Internet-Based Telecommunications Relay Service Modernization. Federal Register FCC notice of proposed rulemaking. Summary: “The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) proposes to modernize its telecommunications relay services (TRS) rules and seeks comment on the use of automatic speech recognition (ASR) for speech-to-text conversion and advanced text-to-speech technologies for Internet Protocol (IP) Relay Service; the need for metrics for IP Relay quality; the compatibility of IP Relay with Real-Time Text (RTT) technology; adding captioning functionality to Video Relay Service (VRS) platforms; amending VRS calling rules for calls to U.S. embassies and consulates by U.S. residents while traveling abroad; adjusting VRS call center requirements; streamlining TRS provider certification and user registration processes; updating or eliminating obsolete rules; and closing outdated dockets. With these proposals, the Commission presents targeted reforms that align internet-based TRS with twenty-first century technological advancements in relay services that can better serve the needs of persons with disabilities while securing the viability and enhancing the effectiveness and functional equivalency of internet-based TRS.”

EO 14395 - Establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. Federal Register.

Short Takes – 3-18-26 – Federal Register Edition

Accepted Means of Compliance for Small Unmanned Aircraft (sUA) Category 2 and Category 3 Operations Over Human Beings; ParaZero Technologies Ltd. Federal Register FAA notice of availability. Summary: “This document announces the acceptance of a means of compliance with FAA regulations for sUA Category 2 and Category 3 operations over human beings. The Administrator finds that ParaZero's “ParaZero Part 107 Operations Over People Means of Compliance,” version 1.5, dated February 4, 2026, provides an acceptable means, but not the only means, of showing compliance with FAA regulations.”

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Polyether Polyols Production Industry Review. Federal Register EPA final rule. Summary: “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the Polyether Polyols (PEPO) Production source category (“PEPO NESHAP”) under Clean Air Act (CAA) section 112. Specifically, the EPA is finalizing certain ethylene oxide (EtO)-specific standards pursuant to CAA section 112(d)(6) rather than finalizing the proposed second residual risk review and corresponding amendments pursuant to CAA section 112(f)(2). In addition, the EPA is taking final action addressing certain issues raised in an administrative petition for reconsideration. Lastly, the EPA is finalizing maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards for certain emission points, work practice standards for certain activities where alternatives are appropriate, performance testing requirements once every five years for certain process vents, and electronic reporting requirements for performance test reports, flare management plans, and periodic reports.” Effective date: March 18^th, 2026.

EO 14391 - Adjusting Certain Delegations Under the Defense Production Act, Federal Register. Federal Register.

EO 14392 - Ensuring Truthful Advertising of Products Claiming To Be Made in America. Federal Register.

EO 14393 - Promoting Access to Mortgage Credit. Federal Register.

EO 14394 - Removing Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Home Construction. Federal Register.

Review – Bills Introduced – 3-17-26

Yesterday, with both the House and Senate in session, there were 53 bills introduced. One of those bills will receive additional coverage in this blog:

S 4127 A bill making continuing appropriations for essential Transportation Security Administration pay and operations during the lapse in appropriations beginning on February 14, 2026, and for other purposes. Rosen, Jacky [Sen.-D-NV]

 

For more information on these bills, including legislative history for similar bills in the 118^th Congress, as well as a brief mention-in-passing of a bill to remove citizenship from individuals supporting terrorism, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/bills-introduced-3-17-26-e95 - subscription required.

Review – CSB Updated the Status of 8 Investigation Recommendations – 3-16-26

Yesterday the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) updated their Recent Recommendation Status Updates page, closing two recommendations with acceptable action and one with acceptable alternative actions. These actions left 119 of 1035 recommendations open. Additionally, the CSB updated the open status of four recommendation, noting that the responsible parties had agreed to take the recommended actions. The CSB took all of these actions on March 16^th, 2026. The previous update was published on January 20^th, 2026.

The three recently closed recommendations are:

 

• Chevron Richmond Refinery Fire, 2012-03-I-CA-R23, Governor and Legislature of the State of California,

• Chevron Richmond Refinery Fire, 2012-03-I-CA-R29, American Petroleum Institute (API), and

• Didion Milling Company Explosion and Fire, 2017-07-I-WI-R4, Didion Milling, Inc

 

For more information on the investigation responses, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/csb-updated-the-status-of-8-investigation - subscription required.

Review – 4 Advisories and 2 Updates Published – 3-17-26

Today CISA’s NCCIC-ICS published four control system security advisories for products from Siemens, Schneider Electric (2), and CODESYS. They also updated two advisories for products from Schneider and Hitachi Energy.

Advisories

Siemens Advisory This advisory describes four vulnerabilities in the Siemens SICAM SIAPP SDK.

NOTE: I briefly discussed these vulnerabilities on Monday.

Schneider Advisory #1 - This advisory describes a use of hard-coded credentials vulnerability in the Schneider Electric EcoStruxure Data Center Expert.

NOTE: I briefly mentioned this vulnerability on Monday.

Schneider Advisory #2 - This advisory describes an improper check for unusual or exceptional conditions vulnerability in the Schneider SCADAPack and RemoteConnect products.

Updates

Schneider Update - This update provides additional information on the EcoStruxure Power Build Rapsody advisory that was originally published on January 14^th, 2026.

I briefly discussed the Schneider update on March 16^th, 2026.

Hitachi Energy Advisory - This update provides additional information on the Relion 670, 650, SAM600-IO Series advisory that was originally published on June 27^th, 2023.

I briefly mentioned the Hitachi Energy update on February 1^st, 2026.

 

For more information on these advisories, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/4-advisories-and-2-updates-published-40c - subscription required.

CSB Publishes Accurate Energetic Systems Investigation Update 3-16-26

Yesterday the US Chemical Safety Board announced the publication of an update for their investigation of the October 10, 2025, explosions at the Accurate Energetic Systems that killed 16 employees. The report provides an overview of the materials and process involved at Building 602 where the fatal explosion occurred. The report concludes with an outline of the continuing items that the CSB is considering:

Cause or probable cause of the potential initiating event(s),

AES’s explosive safety and process safety management programs,

Equipment design of the kettles used at the AES facility,

Sensitivities of in-process explosive materials, and

Industry guidance for commercial facilities that manufacture explosives.

 

Review – Bills Introduced – 3-17-26

Yesterday, with both the House and Senate in session, There were 32 bills introduced. One of those bills will receive additional coverage in this blog:

HR 7945 To ban the sale of nitrous oxide consumer products, and for other purposes. Mullin, Kevin [Rep.-D-CA-15]

 

For more information on these bills, including legislative history for similar bills in the 118^th Congress, as well as a mention in passing of a bill to authorize NSF basic biology research finging, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/bills-introduced-3-17-26 - subscription required.