In our recent webinar, we shared insights into the latest federal and state regulatory developments and what they mean for EHS professionals. Our goal is to help organizations stay informed and proactive amid a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. Below is a summary from the 15-minute webinar, if you’d like to watch a recording you can find it here.
Federal Deregulation and the Government Shutdown
This quarter continued the trend of federal deregulation, influenced by executive orders aimed at reducing regulatory burdens. The ongoing government shutdown also affected regulatory activity. On September 30, the Office of the Federal Register released a Notice of Special Procedures, clarifying which documents could still be published during the shutdown. Only updates necessary for human safety, property protection, imminent threats, or associated with funded programs were allowed, which slowed broader regulatory publishing.
Proposed Rollback of Greenhouse Gas Reporting
A major highlight was the EPA’s proposed rollback of greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting requirements. Published on September 16, 2025, this proposal would remove most reporting obligations except for petroleum and natural gas systems under Subpart W. Even within Subpart W, reporting is reduced—the natural gas distribution segment would be removed entirely, and other segments would have reporting postponed until 2034. The 2025 data submission deadline would shift from March 31 to June 10, 2026.
This proposal aligns with the “Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation” executive order and EPA Administrator Zeldin’s 2025 priorities to reduce regulatory burdens associated with GHG programs.
For more detailed analysis, including background on the GHG program, legal context, and potential impacts, see our post on EPA Proposes Rollback of the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program.
Presidential Proclamations Granting Regulatory Relief
In Q3, Presidential Proclamations were used to grant facility-specific exemptions from compliance obligations. On July 17, 2025, four proclamations provided two-year relief from NESHAP standards for selected facilities in chemical manufacturing, coal and oil-fired utilities, taconite iron ore processing, and ethylene oxide sterilization.
While these proclamations affect only specific facilities, they illustrate a unique approach to regulatory relief, offering exemptions without formally repealing rules.
Congressional Disapprovals and “10 Out, 1 In” Executive Order
The Congressional Review Act (CRA) process continues to progress, though no major updates occurred this quarter. Twelve regulations remain under review, and we expect movement in the months ahead.
The “10 Out, 1 In” executive order from January 2025 continues to shape regulatory updates. The July 1 Federal Register included 88 separate updates from OSHA, MSHA, and PHMSA, many simplifying or repealing prior requirements. These individual regulations were small updates that could have been combined into fewer, more significant rule updates. For example, OSHA chemical-specific respirator requirements were revised in multiple small updates, allowing greater compliance flexibility while maintaining worker protections.
State-Level Regulatory Activity
EPA’s backlog of state implementation plans (SIPs) began to see significant progress in Q3. Hundreds of state-level updates were published, reflecting EPA’s efforts to expedite approvals. Companies operating across multiple states should watch for faster implementation of state regulations, including air quality plans, underground storage tank programs, and other federally delegated programs.
Looking Ahead to Q4
Based on current trends, we expect the following in the final quarter of 2025:
- Continued federal deregulation and enforcement discretion
- Movement in Congressional disapprovals through the CRA
- A surge of regulatory updates once the government reopens
- Ongoing state-level activity as states align with federal changes or fill regulatory gaps
Supporting Compliance with Dakota Software
Throughout the webinar, we also highlighted how Dakota Software’s tools help organizations manage these changes. Our ProActivity Suite—including modules such as Profiler, Auditor, and Tracer—maps applicable regulations to facilities, tracks changes, and enables proactive compliance management.
For organizations looking for a hands-off approach, our Compliance+ program leverages our regulatory intelligence and EHS experts to build site-specific regulatory registers, recurring compliance tasks, and inspection templates—ready for teams to use immediately.
We also offer a free Regulatory Alert Service, delivering plain-language summaries of proposed and final federal regulations directly to subscribers.
Subscribe to Regulatory Alerts
If you’d like to learn more about how Dakota can support your regulatory compliance programs, please reach out for a demo or a personalized consultation. We’re here to help you reign in the chaos of EHS compliance, no matter what regulatory changes come next.
