On August 23, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a notice seeking public comment on two “interim” policies: one to limit environmental impact statements to a maximum of 150 pages – with a recommendation that they “not exceed” 75 pages – and the other to coordinate those federal reviews under the “One Federal Decision” executive order with a goal of completing them within two years. Both directives are intended to speed up the environmental review process for transportation projects.

On AGC’s latest podcast episode, we speak with two industry experts on how construction firms can best prepare for and handle the aftermath of a crisis. We discuss the logistical implications of crisis preparedness as well the imperative to address the psychological and emotional repercussions of job site accidents. Additional resources and customizable tools – developed by our guest speakers Tyler Henson with J.E. Dunn Construction and Patricia Kagerer with Gallagher – are available on AGC’s website here.

Please provide feedback by the end of July 26, 2019

May Warrant Measures to Reduce Risk

AGC is pleased to announce the appointment of new members to serve on its Environmental Forum Steering Committee. Members of the steering committee have direct access to federal regulatory officials, influence over AGC’s environmental agenda, and a means to exchange valuable information with one another and industry peers.

Join us on July 23-25, 2019 in Seattle, Washington

The most recent Unified Agenda, released in late May, demonstrates that a robust agenda of regulatory reform continues as a theme of this Administration, yet it also shows little movement in the relevant policy AGC has been tracking.

At the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) invitation, AGC attended a “Revolutionize USACE Civil Works (CW) Partner Session” on May 15 at USACE Headquarters. AGC took the opportunity to provide feedback on the Corps’ initiative to improve our nation’s infrastructure by synchronizing actions, developing new tools, and streamlining activities. USACE will host webinars on June 20 and 28 to outline Revolutionize USACE CW and to provide interested stakeholders with an opportunity to provide input on how the Corps’ can improve upon its goals and objects, as well as its outreach and communication efforts.

Agency Removes ‘Joint and Several Liability’ from the Federal CGP

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will accept public comment until June 10, 2019, on the agency’s draft interim guidance for addressing two per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater. When finalized, the recommendations will provide a starting point for making site-specific cleanup decisions under federal cleanup programs, including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). What is more, EPA anticipates that its guidance will be used by other federal, state and tribal agencies in carrying out “authorized” cleanup programs (e.g., federal facility cleanup programs and approved state Resource Conservation and Recovery Act corrective action programs).