New regulations proposed by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration aim to reduce methane leaks from natural gas infrastructure such as pipelines, gas storage tanks and liquefied natural gas facilities by strengthening leak detection, repair and monitoring requirements. If finalized, the rules could prevent up to 1.1 million metric tons of methane emissions from pipelines by 2030, according to officials.

Additive manufacturing is expanding rapidly in a variety of industries -- and the new standards that will help facilitate its growth are also being developed at a rapid pace.

OSHA has selected the danger of falls from height for its latest National Emphasis Program. The NEP begins with 90 days of outreach to educate employers on fall prevention, with planned inspections to follow.

The Department of Energy is considering stricter energy efficiency standards while concerns persist regarding grid resiliency and supply chain constraints, an approach that Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., says has "put the cart before the horse." A recent NEMA analysis projected that the proposed standards would only boost net efficiency by .02%.

Noise certification standards for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft have been proposed by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, with the Environmental Protection Technical Specifications using heavy helicopter standards as a jumping-off point and adapting them to eVTOL designs. Comments on the standards, which the agency says are the first in the world to be developed, are due by June 15.

Textron's Beechcraft Denali is on track for certification in 2025 as the company completes development in coordination with engine-maker GE. "I'm also excited today to announce that we'll be adding the 'peace-of-mind' technology to the Beechcraft Denali cockpit with the Garmin emergency Autoland system," said Lannie O'Bannion of Textron Aviation.

The Federal Aviation Administration published a blueprint for how air taxis will operate, beginning with aircraft types that can fly within the current regulatory and operational environment, using existing helipads and helicopter routes. In the next phase, expected changes include establishing air taxi corridors between major airports and vertiports in city center, the start of remote pilot-in-command operations and improved autonomous flight capabilities.

NASA has developed a segmented, self-propelled robot that can move through plume vents to explore underground liquid terrain and labyrinths and search for evidence of life. The snake-like Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor, which uses propellers and gripping devices and transmits real-time video to operators, may eventually be sent to Enceladus, one of Saturn's moons, according to the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Dartmouth College researchers are developing robots that could complete expensive underwater infrastructure projects that are often constrained by human limitations. Computer scientists at Dartmouth's Reality and Robotics Lab developed and tested a prototype powered by battery and compressed air that can build concrete structures using a dozen components.

Office mates who constantly complain, talk loudly, gossip or make stops at your desk for small talk can affect not just your productivity, but your own mental health, but there is a way to deal effectively with each of them, writes Lochlan Cheuk. Keep conversations short with each type of colleague to maintain a positive working relationship and "learn to be forgiving and patient with your coworkers," Cheuk recommends.

ASTM International has announced the launch of the Additive Manufacturing Quality (AMQ) Certification program, developed for industry analysis, user perspective and identification of gaps in the AM industry.