This is the latest installment of highlights of PCA’s “This Week in Washington” update. Interested in seeing more?  Become an ACPA Advocacy Interest Member.* Advocacy Interest Members are eligible to participate in the Legislative Issues Committee (LIC). Click here to join!

• In follow-up to an oversight hearing in May, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) on October 7th released three Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to address demurrage and accessorial rules and charges, with the aim of improving transparency and the dispute resolution process. One NPRM clarifies STB oversight of demurrage and applies to rail shipments of cement and other exempted commodities. PCA says they see this as a first step toward providing the cement industry greater protection against unreasonable rates and practices. 
• Following the electrocution deaths of three miners over 42 days, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) issued an Electrical Safety Alert reminding all miners, contractors and mine operators of best management practices when working with electricity.  This is a somber and important reminder for all companies, including cement producers and concrete pavement contractors, to revisit their lockout/tagout procedures and other safety practices in plants and workzones.
• As a member of the Opportunity America Jobs and Careers Coalition, PCA recently signed onto a coalition letter to Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee, in support of the Student Aid Improvement Act. The legislation would make Pell Grants available to students enrolled in college job training programs shorter than a semester that lead to industry-recognized credentials and skills in demand in the labor market.  At a time when workforce issues are in sharp focus for many in the industry, this legislation could be beneficial to attracting and retaining workers. 

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* Advocacy Interest Membership is a special individual membership category. To be eligible for membership in this category, a member must be a stockholder, owner, director, or employee of a member admitted to any other class of membership (Article IV, Section a-i, and l). In addition, to become and remain eligible, individuals must affirm their Advocacy Interest Membership annually.

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