Early in 2009, EPA committed to issuing a final determination and possible new requirements for the disposal and reuse of coal combustion waste by the end of the year. On December 17, EPA announced that it will miss that deadline due to the complexity of the analysis it is currently finishing. EPA anticipates issuing a proposal in early 2010.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold five listening sessions in January 2010 in select cities to inform the public and solicit feedback on upcoming rules to strengthen the national stormwater program. EPA is particularly focused on further restricting stormwater discharges from newly developed and redeveloped construction sites. In addition to holding public meetings this month, EPA recently requested the construction industry's feedback on a draft "industry questionnaire" that the Agency plans to distribute this spring to collect detailed financial and technical information from real estate developers and general contractors to guide and inform the new stormwater runoff rulemaking. EPA plans to propose and take final action on its new stormwater rules by Nov. 2012.
President Obama heads for Copenhagen, Denmark today to join other heads of state at the U.N. Climate Change Conference. Negotiators had hoped to reach a political agreement that would lead towards a legally binding agreement in 2010 to cut worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. However, industrialized and developing countries are deadlocked over the scope of those cuts and the amount of aid industrialized nations are prepared to provide developing countries to adapt to climate change and curb their own emissions.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee ranking member Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and House Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member Joe Barton (R-Texas) this week filed resolutions under the Congressional Review Act that, if passed by Congress and signed by the President, would nullify the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's December 7 finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health and welfare.
AGC will also be hosting a Building to LEED-NC: Overview and Impact on Construction Practices program as part of its 2010 Annual Convention pre-convention sessions. The program will take place on March 16, 2010 in Orlando with the Annual Convention running March 17-21.
Supplement provides update on LEED v3 and its impact on construction practices
In April 2009, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released an update to its LEED® rating system, LEED v3. Among the updates to its ratings system, LEED 2009, LEED v3 included changes to LEED Online, a new building certification processes and new professional certifications.
Following the Environmental Protection Agency's announcement on Monday that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health, AGC issued a statement calling for the administration to rethink its misguided approach.
AGC strives to provide with the most up-to-date information on LEED® v3 and how it affects contractors. On December 15, 2009 AGC will host a webinar entitled "The Impact of LEED® v3 for New Construction on Construction Practices". In attending this webinar registrants will have the ability to earn 1.5 GBCI CE hours to count toward their required credentialing maintenance hours.
Contractors and other operators of off-road diesel equipment will exceed ambitious new emissions targets set by California officials, according to new state figures released Tuesday by AGC. New data from the California Air Resources Board indicates there is no need to impose costly new "diesel retrofit" rules forcing contractors to purchase new equipment before 2014.
Following Monday's announcement from the Environmental Protection Agency that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health, AGC issued a statement calling for the administration to rethink its misguided approach.