AGC has extended the Call for Presentations until March 18th
AGC will hold its fifth Contractors Environmental Conference (CEC) on October 5-6, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The CEC is a yearly management, leadership and technology-focused conference that zeros in on the most critical environmental issues impacting today’s construction professionals. Past attendees agree that this one-of-a-kind program provides contractors with the information and resources to meet environmental requirements, sustainability initiatives, and remain competitive in the marketplace. Presentation proposals are being accepted online at www.agc.org/enviroCFP through March 18th.
Join Us in Denver on April 20, 2016
Are you an environmental professional working in-house at a construction firm? This spring, AGC is holding a day of roundtable discussions specifically for you and your peers – AGC’s In-House Environmental Managers Meeting. Join us in Denver, CO on April 20, 2016, for a day of information sharing and collaboration. Seating is very limited for this meeting; please don’t wait to act on this exclusive opportunity. Click here to register (construction firms only, please).
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently released “Using Graywater and Stormwater to Enhance Local Water Supplies: An Assessment of Risks, Costs, and Benefits” (available for free download). The report acknowledges that greywater and stormwater can augment water supplies to improve reliability and extend the capacity of water systems in water-scarce or quickly growing cities, if proven safe. The report also calls for more research to address risks, guidelines, and changes to infrastructure to facilitate safe use of these waters.
A host of legal challenges have been filed against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rule to tighten its ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) from 75 parts per billion (ppb) down to 70 ppb. A coalition of groups representing various industries are faulting what they say is EPA’s inadequate consideration of naturally occurring “background” ozone levels (ozone formed from sources or processes other than U.S. man-made emissions ) that might hamper states’ ability to attain the agency's tighter limit. EPA is promoting “regulatory relief mechanisms” to address the concerns of states and other interested parties.
A recently released Presidential Memorandum speaks to how federal agencies should, in their environmental reviews and permitting, address impacts on natural resources caused by construction and development – a process called “mitigation.” The new policy broadens the federal government's 26-year-old “no net loss” wetlands policy by expanding that concept to any natural resource and encouraging agencies to replace those resources even before construction begins.
AGC Explains What You Need to Know Today about Federal Jurisdiction over WOTUS
AGC Supports Online Lead Paint Training
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized an AGC-supported rule that will allow contractors who are subject to EPA’s current Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) rule to complete the required “renovator” re-certification process via distance/online learning, rather than traveling to a more expensive in-seat program.
May Force Cities to Further Restrict Runoff from Construction and Development
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting public comments until March 21 on proposed changes to its general permit program for operators of municipal separate stormwater sewer systems (MS4s), which will ensure that cities are reducing pollutants in their runoff to the “maximum extent practicable” (MEP). The proposed rule addresses how small MS4s seek and incorporate public comment and agency reviews into their permits. The proposal would significantly change how cities obtain Clean Water Act (CWA) authorization to discharge stormwater from their systems and may force cities to further limit runoff from active construction sites and developed properties.
May Force Cities to Further Restrict Runoff from Construction and Development
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting public comments until March 21 on proposed changes to its general permit program for operators of municipal separate stormwater sewer systems (MS4s), which will ensure that cities are reducing pollutants in their runoff to the “maximum extent practicable” (MEP). The proposed rule addresses how small MS4s seek and incorporate public comment and agency reviews into their permits. The proposal would significantly change how cities obtain Clean Water Act (CWA) authorization to discharge stormwater from their systems and may force cities to further limit runoff from active construction sites and developed properties.
The House voted to halt the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency’s 'Waters of the US’ rulemaking redefining jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act and prevent the administration from issuing a substantially similar regulation. This vote follows the Senate’s approval of the same resolution in November. The measure now heads to the president’s desk, where it is expected to be vetoed. Unfortunately, it is unlikely either the House or Senate will have the votes needed to override the president’s veto. AGC will continue to work with Congress and its industry allies to find a workable legislative solution to this rulemaking.