Regulation: Page 15


  • A man in a hardhat drives in a small utility vehicle with a yellow train with American flag in the background
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Rail labor negotiations

    Biden signs legislation preventing rail strike, lockout

    The president said the law avoids “what, without a doubt, would have been an economic catastrophe at a very bad time in the calendar.”

    By Sarah Zimmerman • Dec. 2, 2022
  • Freight rail cars carrying lumber sit on rail tracks
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Rail labor negotiations

    Senate sends bill avoiding rail shutdown to Biden’s desk

    The divided chamber shot down an amendment to give workers seven days paid sick leave.

    By Sarah Zimmerman • Dec. 1, 2022
  • Signs with messages such as "Yes to Rail Unions! No to capitalist politicians!" is seen in front of the U.S. Capitol
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Rail labor negotiations

    House passes bills to avert US rail shutdown, add paid sick leave

    The vote comes just two days after President Joe Biden urged congressional intervention, warning “a rail shutdown would devastate our economy.”

    By Sarah Zimmerman • Nov. 30, 2022
  • Electric energy storage network and distribution lines
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    Permission granted by Invinity Energy Systems
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    Zinc-based storage manufacturer delays production to capitalize on federal tax credits

    Eos Energy Enterprises is pushing this year's orders to 2023 to take advantage of energy storage benefits outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act, CEO Joe Mastrangelo said.

    By Stephen Singer • Nov. 29, 2022
  • Grey and yellow freight rail cars sit in a rail yard with a line of railroad tracks between them.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Rail labor negotiations

    Biden calls on Congress to prevent rail shutdown

    The president said he’s been advised that “there is no path to resolve the dispute at the bargaining table” before the Dec. 9 deadline.

    By Sarah Zimmerman • Nov. 28, 2022
  • A freight train is blurred as it's seen speeding down the track
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Rail labor negotiations

    Potential for rail shutdown rises as largest union rejects labor deal

    An impasse over guaranteed sick leave is likely headed to a congressional showdown.

    By Sarah Zimmerman • Nov. 21, 2022
  • U.S. President Joe Biden stands on stage and speaks into a microphone at COP27 with the blue and white event logo and location on the screen behind him.
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    Sean Gallup via Getty Images
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    Biden proposes new sustainability rules for federal suppliers

    Companies with more than $7.5 million in federal contracts would be required to disclose emissions.

    By Nov. 15, 2022
  • Green train cars sit on rail tracks
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Deadline to avoid rail strike or lockout extended to December

    The country’s third-largest rail union agreed to a longer “cooling off” period in an attempt to avoid congressional intervention and service disruptions.

    By Sarah Zimmerman • Nov. 9, 2022
  • Major railroads mandated to keep reporting service restoration progress

    Regulators will continue to monitor BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific after noting they are unlikely to reach their improvement targets before the end of the current reporting period. 

    By Sarah Zimmerman • Nov. 9, 2022
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    Thomas Cain via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    ESG backlash unlikely to derail SEC proposal requiring climate risk disclosures

    One expert said the agency has "vastly underestimated" the amount of money needed for businesses to comply.

    By Jim Tyson • Nov. 3, 2022
  • Workers are seen standing on criss-crossing rail tracks
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Tracker

    Rail labor negotiations: Tracking the path to ratification

    A strike or lockout was avoided after Congress intervened to impose an agreement. Here’s how we got there.

    By Sarah Zimmerman • Updated Dec. 2, 2022
  • Lithium Mine Processing Plant, Western Australia. Mechanical processing is used to refine lithium spodumene concentrate.
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    jasonbennee via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    How the US plans to transform its lithium supply chain

    With just 3.6% of global reserves, access to the critical mineral is vital to the country’s sustainable energy plans.

    By Oct. 27, 2022
  • President Joe Biden sits at a desk. In the background, a sign can be seen reading "Made in America" with pictures of batteries and automobiles.
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    Biden awards $2.8B to boost domestic EV battery supply

    Suppliers for major auto giants including Tesla and Mercedes-Benz won grants to expand manufacturing

    By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 20, 2022
  • UPS employees load boxes from a posi-sorter chute into an air container at UPS Worldport on January 3, 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky.
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    Jon Cherry/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    UPS to pay $5.3M in EPA settlement over alleged hazardous waste violations

    The parcel delivery giant has three years to come into compliance at more than 1,000 facilities nationwide.

    By Oct. 20, 2022
  • In an aerial view, shipping containers sit on truck transport chassis in a rail yard on October 22, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    FMC initiates chassis overhaul study, part of Ocean Shipping Reform Act

    The National Academies of Science will conduct the $500,000 review of existing chassis pools to determine the best model.

    By Oct. 18, 2022
  • Circular Federal Triangle Environmental Protection Agency EPA Washington DC
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    bpperry via Getty Images
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    EPA to speed review of new chemicals for electric vehicles

    The move is in line with the Biden administration’s focus on boosting domestic output of lithium and rare earth minerals.

    By Larry Pearl • Oct. 18, 2022
  • Workers service the tracks at the Metra/BNSF railroad yard outside of downtown on September 13, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Railroads should give workers the benefits they seek

    It's time to get freight rail back on track with a stable workforce and improved service, writes the National Association of Chemical Distributors.

    By Eric R. Byer • Oct. 17, 2022
  • Protesters hold up signs with messages proclaiming "Tariffs are taxes" and "We don't want tariffs" in front of the U.S. Capitol
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    Mark Wilson via Getty Images
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    Biden admin seeks public input on China tariff review

    Section 301 tariffs will remain in place as the U.S. Trade Representative evaluates their effectiveness.

    By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 13, 2022
  • In an aerial view, a container ship sits docked at the Port of Oakland on May 20, 2022.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    FMC proposal requires ocean carriers to give shippers more details on demurrage charges

    The rule comes after the agency investigated practices into the fees, which are accrued when shippers don’t move cargo fast enough.

    By Oct. 11, 2022
  • Person in hard hat standing in front of bales of plastic
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    Thirawatana Phaisalratana via Getty Images
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    Thailand to ban plastic scrap imports in 2025

    The move to curb plastic pollution follows similar rules made by other countries in Southeast Asia.

    By Megan Quinn • Oct. 6, 2022
  • A general view of workers in the yard working on shipping containers and the cranes which move them at the Port of Rotterdam on October 27, 2017.
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    Dean Mouhtaropoulos via Getty Images
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    FMC proposal defines ‘unreasonable’ export rejections by ocean carriers

    The new rule details criteria for violations under the Ocean Shipping Reform Act and establishes a framework for proving improper refusals.

    By Sept. 21, 2022
  • White House Port and Supply Chain Envoy Gen. Stephen Lyons speaks with Association of Supply Chain Management CEO Abe Eshkenazisit sit on black arm chairs in the middle of a conversation
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    Permission granted by G. Thomas Ward/Association of Supply Chain Management
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    White House supply chain strategy shifts beyond 24/7 port operations

    Port and Supply Chain Envoy Gen. Stephen Lyons said the initiative failed to gain traction due to the financial costs involved.

    By Sarah Zimmerman • Sept. 20, 2022
  • plug-in cars
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    Retrieved from Department of Energy on October 08, 2021
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    Inflation Reduction Act could shift EV battery composition: report

    Global markets for critical materials are likely to remain tight. “We expect virtually every commodity to be undersupplied beyond 2025,” new research from BofA Global states.

    By Robert Walton • Sept. 8, 2022
  • A Maersk shipping container sits on a rail car at the Port of Los Angeles on February 9, 2022 in San Pedro, California.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Maersk abandons $1B sale of container business after DOJ investigation

    Regulators were concerned that a sale to China International Marine Containers would have led to higher prices and less supply chain resiliency.

    By Aug. 30, 2022
  • President Joe Biden sits at a desk and signs legislation as Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and House Majority Whip James Clyburn stand nearby
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    Drew Angerer via Getty Images
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    Inflation Reduction Act encourages EV battery sourcing, production in North America

    The law creates incentives that could require major shifts in critical mineral supply chains for U.S. automakers.

    By Sarah Zimmerman • Aug. 17, 2022