US trimming Sandy recovery red tape

The U.S. government is speeding up the finalization of new rules that should help with the recovery from Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast. The Obama administration is expediting the approval process for revamped rules covering repairs to transportation infrastructure so they will take effect as early as next week. The legislation enacted last year won't officially go into effect until it is formally announced in the Federal Register. Laws normally go into effect 30 days after being published in the Register, but the administration determined there was "good cause" to have the regulations take effect as soon as it appears in print on Tuesday, The Hill said Saturday. The revamped rules were drawn up by the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration. They allow repairs to roads, bridges and other infrastructure damaged in a national emergency to take place in some cases without the standard environmental reviews. The Hill said the move will release federal funding for such projects sooner than normal.