In an August 13 letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), AGC says that consistent and transparent cost-benefit analysis can improve regulations and limit arbitrary and capricious decisions. The construction industry is extensively regulated by the agency; and EPA regulations account for most of the annual estimated benefits and costs of all major federal regulations. AGC urges the agency to apply cost-benefit analysis principles to the maximum extent possible under law and consider the full range of costs imposed on small businesses.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler faced members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee at a hearing on Aug. 1 regarding EPA’s agenda.

In line with an AGC recommendation, on July 27 the Fish and Wildlife Service withdrew two policies from 2016 regarding mitigation and Endangered Species Act compensatory mitigation — indicating that the Service lacks the authority to require the "net conservation gain" goal that underpinned the policies. AGC submitted comments to the Service earlier this year on these policies and urged the Fish and Wildlife Serve to remove the net gain goal, stating that it goes above and beyond the law.

September 11, 2018; Co-located with AGC’s 2018 Construction Environmental Conference

Last week, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) proposed streamlining updates to multiple sections of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In addition, the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is considering an AGC-supported discussion draft of a new bill to amend the Act.

Join us on September 12-13 in Crystal City, Virginia

Following Scott Pruitt’s resignation late last week, Deputy Administrator Andrew Wheeler assumed the role of acting administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on July 9. In his first address to EPA staff, Wheeler indicated that he would continue President Trump’s goals for the agency to reign in federal regulatory overreach and refocus EPA on its core responsibilities. AGC supported Andrew Wheeler’s confirmation as deputy administrator in a letter to the senate earlier this year.

Federal agencies recently have initiated action on several key environmental issues of importance to AGC of America’s contractor members from the Waters of the United States rulemaking to proposed new lead-dust standards and re-evaluating the procedural elements of the National Environmental Policy Act.

AGC Fights Back Against Obama-Era Rule that Would Have Slowed Project Approval

Following in the tradition of Presidents Bush’s “greening the government” and Obama’s “federal sustainability” efforts, President Trump ordered federal agencies to meet statutory requirements for environmental performance and prioritize actions that reduce waste and enhance the resilience of federal infrastructure and operations. Trump’s May 17 Executive Order Regarding Efficient Federal Operations takes a less prescriptive approach and provides agencies greater flexibility in meeting existing requirements than Obama’s now rescinded 2015 order – which set far-reaching goals for federal buildings and fleets beginning in 2016 through 2025 and beyond.