In a letter sent to Rep. Lynn Woolsey, Chairwoman of the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections and Rep. Tom Price, the Subcommittee' Ranking Member, AGC CEO Steve Sandherr made the point that construction jobs meet all the criteria of the loosely defined "green job," including:Improving the environment;Offering good-paying jobs;Offering opportunities for advancement;Are jobs that cannot be outsourced; andEncouraging participation by a diverse population.The letter was sent to the subcommittee in response to a March 31 hearing it held to "examine green jobs and their role in our nation's economic recovery."In her opening statement, Chairwoman Woolsey noted:  "Green industry, green technology and green jobs are our future, and will play a key role in our economic recovery."AGC of America agrees with both the general definition of a "green job" and Chairwoman Woolsey's statement. Our point in the letter was to emphasize how large a role the construction industry plays in a green economy, how important it is to capture all of the green work that our industry does - including recycling at the highest levels of any industry - and the need to provide training for traditional crafts that may "benefit by, but do not need, training in green practices in order to work successfully on a green project."Further, AGC stressed the need for the federal government to avoid over-defining "green jobs" so that it excludes large segments of the industry and highlighted the many ways that AGC, its members, and chapters promote training and construction in environmentally sound and "green" practices.The letter concluded: "By building energy efficiency into existing and future infrastructure, the construction industry is an essential partner in the nation's efforts to nurture a green economy."The full text of the AGC letter, as well as the original Green Jobs Act and Rep. Kline's amendment, referenced in the letter, can be viewed online.

The construction industry accounts for less than one percent of all U.S. green house gas emissions according to a new analysis of federal environmental data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  AGC of America found that all equipment used by the construction industry contributed less than 0.95 percent of all U.S. man-made greenhouse gas emissions in 2007.  Click here to read the AGC press release.

How are owners and contractors addressing their needs in today's economy?  How can your firm maintain competitiveness in this market?  The AGC Building Contractors Conference to be held June 10-13, 2009 at The Homestead in Hot Springs, VA will bring together members of the AGC building construction community to hear presentations and discuss how best to guide their firms through these challenging economic times. This Conference will address many important topics, including contingency planning, taking advantage of hidden market opportunities, the stimulus, federal labor law changes, and strategies on how to come out on top.  Discussions on industry trends such as BIM, green construction, and IPD, as well as multiple networking opportunities make this a Conference you don't want to miss.Who should attend: building construction professionals, owners, specialty contractors, service and supply firms, and anyone who wishes to contribute to the industry and benefit from valuable guidance and best practices.  For more information and to register, visit www.agc.org/homestead. Interested in sponsoring the AGC Building Contractors Conference and showcasing your firm before owners and leaders of this market?  Click here for available sponsorship opportunities!

Recently the U.S. Department of Education announced that $44 billion for states and schools is now available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  More information on from this agency and others is available on AGC's Stimulus at Work Web site, www.agc.org/stimulus. The funding announced by the Department of Education includes $32.6 billion under the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, which is two-thirds of the total dollars in the fund.  The remaining funds will be released later in the year.  A state-by-state breakdown on this initial release of funds can be found here.  Detailed information on education funding in the stimulus package can be found here.  Details on stimulus funding for school construction, modernization, renovation and repair can be found in Section V (pages 33-37) of the Department of Education's "Guidance on the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund Program."  The Department's "School Modernization" page can be found here.For more information contact Mike Stark at starkm@agc.org or (703) 837-5365.

Be sure to check out the AGC Project Delivery Website at www.agc.org/projectdelivery.  Resources include general project delivery, Design-Bid-Build, CM At-Risk, Design-Build, Integrated Project Delivery and other information.

The federal government has agreed to even further delay implementation of the E-Verify rule for federal contractors.  Contracts and solicitations issued prior to June 30, 2009, will not contain the mandate.  An official announcement is expected to be published in today's Federal Register.The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council issued the final rule on November 14, 2008, requiring contracting officers to mandate contractor use of E-Verify in solicitations issued and contracts awarded after January 15, 2009.  In response to a legal challenge to the rule, the government agreed to suspend the rule until February 20 and again until May 21.  The plaintiffs in the lawsuit requested the extension after President Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel issued a memorandum directing federal agencies to consider extending by 60 days the effective dates of all regulations already issued but not yet in effect, in order to allow the new Administration a chance to review any "questions of law and policy raised."Click here for a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) for Federal Contractors & E-Verify.  Visit the AGC Web site for critical components of the final rule.  For more information, contact Marco Giamberardino at (703) 837-5325 or giamberm@agc.org.

Make the Switch to ConsensusDOCS!After May 31, the 1997 A-series documents (including the AIA A-201-1997) will no longer be available, and users of AIA's contract documents software will not be able to generate licensed final versions of those documents.  When AIA released its 2007 suite of A-series contract documents in November 2007 (AGC unanimously decided not to endorse the AIA A-201 2007), it granted users of its 1997 documents an 18-month period to "transition from retired to new documents."  Contractors that want to avoid violating AIA's licensing agreement should not offer the A401-1997 or other 1997 A-series AIA documents after that date, and should be aware that clients offering the documents after that date could be breaching AIA's licensing agreement.Switch to ConsensusDOCS today and use the only standard construction contract documents endorsed by 22 industry associations, including AGC!  AGC members receive a 20% discount on all ConsensusDOCS products when purchased through the AGC Bookstore (www.agc.org/bookstore).  Subscribe today!If the AIA A201 is mandated please refer to the AGC members-only Commentary found at www.agc.org/contracts.

On April 10, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published in the Federal Register a proposed rule that would require reporting of annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a wide range of sources, including all facilities that produce cement and manufacture lime.  The agency is seeking public comment on the proposed threshold for reporting and whether to include monitoring and reporting requirements for in-use fleets, as well as other provisions in the proposed rule.  Comments are due June 9, 2009.  Click here to read the entire article.

John Tocci, Sr., CEO of Woburn, MA-based Tocci Construction has been named AGC of America Committee Chair of the Year.  Tocci was recognized for his accomplishments as the chair of the AGC BIMForum, a coalition of contractors, designers, engineers and owners dedicated to using building information modeling (BIM) technology to improve design and construction.  To read the AGC press release, click here.

On April 6, 2009, AGC of America launched its newest educational resource, BIM 101: An Introduction to Building Information Modeling, the first part of AGC's BIM Education Program. BIM 101 is a full-day course designed specifically for construction professionals eager to learn the essential concepts of BIM and will provide participants with a comprehensive overview to prepare them for future BIM Education Program courses.This high-quality, content-rich program gives construction professionals, building developers, owners, designers, construction product manufacturers and others in the AEC building community a compelling new resource to position themselves to proactively move forward with BIM adoption.The BIM Education Program brochure outlines the course details. BIM 101 is offered at many of AGC's 95 chapters, in addition to a range of construction firms and educational institutions. Course offerings are scheduled frequently. May 2009 dates include:AGC of America BIMForum, Dallas, TX - May 27AGC of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT - May 6San Antonio Chapter, San Antonio, TX - May 7AGC of Connecticut, Wethersfield, CT - May 15 and 16Contact Amy Fields, Senior Director, Curriculum and Program Development, for additional information on BIM 101 at (703) 837-5360 or curriculum@agc.org.