AGC Updates Fact Sheet on Clean Air Limits for Stationary Engines The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reconsidering parts of its recently finalized rule that limits emissions of hazardous air pollutants from stationary reciprocating internal combustion engines used for emergency demand response and system reliability.  EPA will accept public comment on its notice of reconsideration through Nov. 4.

Site Inspections on the Rise The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just released its revised SPCC Guidance for Regional Inspectors (EPA 550-B-13-001, Aug. 28, 2013) to assist regional inspectors when they review a site’s compliance with the federal Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule.  The guide spells out how EPA intends to implement the SPCC rule nationwide and is likely to be a useful tool for the owner/operator of any jobsite or facility that may be subject to the SPCC regulations.  EPA will present two private webinars for AGC contractors to learn about and ask questions concerning what’s in the new inspector’s guide and what companies can expect during an inspection.

Other States May Now Adopt Identical Rules The California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced late Friday that it has received authorization from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enforce its statewide In-Use Off-Road Diesel Vehicle Regulation, including the rule’s engine emissions targets and related requirements, such as turnover requirements and restrictions on adding Tier 0 and Tier 1 vehicles. As previously reported by AGC, dozens of other states have been closely following California's controversial effort to implement and enforce first-time emission limits for in-use "fleets" of off-road diesel equipment. Now that CARB has received a Clean Air Act (CAA) “waiver” from EPA, California is allowed to enforce the rule’s engine emissions limits and other states can then adopt and enforce standards "identical" to California's regulation.

Is your company abiding by state stormwater permits? If your construction project disturbs one or more acres of land through clearing, grading, excavating, or stockpiling of fill material, you need coverage under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater permit for construction activities.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has updated its online inventory of all of these specific state stormwater general permits – and access to your state’s permit is now just a click away.

How might “building green” impact the safety of construction workers?  Sellen Sustainability – the sustainability team of AGC member company Sellen Construction – sought to address that question and, along the way, created an in-depth environmental solution: a curriculum that companies can use to keep their workers safe on green building projects.  The training materials for the Green Building Safety curriculum are available online at no cost.

Electronic Reporting and Transparency Are Key to EPA’s National Enforcement Priorities Update: EPA just announced a 45 day extension until December 12, 2013, for submitting comments on this proposal - click here. There’s still time to let EPA know your views on electronic reporting. On July 30, 2013, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new regulatory program that would make every construction company’s stormwater permit records and compliance history accessible to the public. The proposed National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Electronic Reporting Rule would require all construction site operators covered by an NPDES permit to submit a variety of permit-related information electronically instead of using paper reports. The proposed e-reporting rule would make each company’s site-specific information, such as inspection and enforcement history, pollutant monitoring results, and other data required by permits accessible to the public through EPA’s website.

Many contractors are bracing themselves for more stringent national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone, which could throw an estimated 96 percent of U.S. cities into nonattainment and potentially lead to a $1 trillion hit to our economy. Federal judges recently upheld the current 2008 ozone standard, initially challenged by public environmental and health groups for being too lenient. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is still working to finalize a rule that would advise states on how to develop implementation plans for areas that exceed that legal limit. However, groups have filed a new lawsuit to force EPA to update the ozone NAAQS within a year and are lobbying hard for a much tighter standard.

The U.S. Federal Government continues to be a leader in adopting sustainability strategies for new construction and existing buildings.  Traditionally, government agencies have used green building assessment and certification programs to implement these strategies.  Government contractors and suppliers have used knowledge of these rating systems to open doors and win contracts.  However, the rules may change as agencies work to meet the requirements in the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings.  In an era of fewer building projects, knowledge of these requirements is a tool that can help companies compete more effectively for contract opportunities.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released “Our Built and Natural Environments: A Technical Review of the Interactions among Land Use, Transportation, and Environmental Quality.” As part of its smart growth program, this second edition of a report from 2001 details how the environment and public health can be affected by the way cities and towns are developed.  The report does not discuss the economic impacts of different land use, development, or transportation decisions.

The U.S. Senate confirmed Gina McCarthy as the new administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on July 18 by a 59-40 vote. On EPA’s regulatory agenda are new rules that would limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from power plants, control hydraulic fracturing (natural gas extraction) and the disposal of coal combustion residuals, and reduce stormwater runoff from developed sites, among many others.