Short Takes – 9-23-25 – Federal Register Edition

Procedures for Chemical Risk Evaluation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Federal Register EPA notice of proposed rulemaking. Summary: “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, “the Agency”) is proposing to amend the procedural framework rule for conducting existing chemical risk evaluations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). When conducting an existing chemical risk evaluation under TSCA, EPA must determine whether a chemical substance presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment, without consideration of costs or non-risk factors, including unreasonable risk to a potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulation identified as relevant to the risk evaluation, under the conditions of use. In this action, EPA proposes to rescind or revise certain 2024 amendments to the procedural framework rule to effectuate the best reading of the statute and ensure that the procedural framework rule does not impede the timely completion of risk evaluations or impair the effective and efficient protection of health and the environment.” Comments due: October 23, 2025.

Notice of Availability, Notice of Public Comment Period, Notice of Virtual Public Meeting, and Request for Comment on the Draft Tiered Environmental Assessment for Updates to Airspace Closures for Additional Launch Trajectories and Starship Boca Chica Landings of the SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy Vehicle at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas. Federal Register FAA notice of availability. Summary: “In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) and FAA Order 1050.1G, FAA National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures, the FAA is announcing the availability of and requesting comment on the draft Tiered Environmental Assessment for Updates to Airspace Closures for Additional Launch Trajectories and Starship Boca Chica Landings of the SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy Vehicle at the SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas (Draft Tiered EA).”

Supply Chain Risk Management Reliability Standards Revisions; Equipment and Services Produced or Provided by Certain Entities Identified as Risks to National Security. Federal Register FERC final action. Summary: “The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) directs the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the Commission-certified Electric Reliability Organization, to develop new or modified Reliability Standards that address the sufficiency of responsible entities' supply chain risk management plans related to the identification of and response to supply chain risks. Further, the Commission directs NERC to develop modifications related to supply chain protections for protected cyber assets. This final action also terminates a related notice of inquiry.”

Critical Infrastructure Protection Reliability Standard CIP-003-11-Cyber Security-Security Management Controls. Federal Register FERC notice of proposed rulemaking. Summary: “The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) proposes to approve Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Reliability Standard: CIP-003-11 (Cyber Security—Security Management Controls). The North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the Commission-certified electric reliability organization, submitted the proposed Reliability Standard modifications to mitigate risks posed by a coordinated cyberattack on low impact facilities; the aggregate impact of which could be much greater.”

Virtualization Reliability Standards. Federal Register FERC notice of proposed rulemaking. Summary: “The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) proposes to approve four new definitions and 18 modified definitions in the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Glossary of Terms Used in Reliability Standards. The Commission also proposes to approve eleven modified Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Reliability Standards. NERC, the Commission-certified electric reliability organization, submitted the proposed modifications to update the CIP Reliability Standards to enable the application of virtualization and other new technologies in a secure manner.”