In late September, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) reinstated, on a temporary basis, a requirement that states account for on-road greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) when planning transportation improvement projects. On Oct. 5, FHWA proposed a rulemaking to formally repeal the measure with a goal of finalizing it by spring 2018. FHWA pointed out that a GHG measure is not required by statute and is a burdensome and an unnecessary addition to the planning review. FHWA limited the comment period to 30 days in an effort to eliminate this requirement before states would be required to implement it.
The Trump Administration reinforced its commitment to ensure that the Federal environmental review and permitting process for infrastructure projects is coordinated, predictable, and transparent.. President Trump, through Executive Order (EO) 13807, Establishing Discipline and Accountability in the Environmental Review and Permitting Process for Infrastructure Projects, issued on Aug. 15, identified concerns with the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) – including lack of coordination among federal agencies, overlapping statutory requirements, and redundant processes – and called on federal agencies to undertake reforms.
Construction employment increased by 8,000 jobs in September to the highest level since October 2008, amid a tight labor market that may be keeping contractors from hiring as many workers as they need, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said construction employment gains would have been higher if more high school students were exposed to construction as a possible career option.
On Tuesday, AGC Chief Executive Officer Stephen E. Sandherr and Tom Couling (Zachry Constr), the chair of AGC’s environmental forum, joined senior officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the launch of the agency’s Smart Sectors program. EPA invited AGC to partner on an aggressive effort to eliminate or improve harmful rules that have failed to deliver results and stifled economic growth.
Most major construction spending categories increased from July to August but activity was mixed compared to spending levels a year earlier, according to an analysis of new government data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that big drops in public investments mean infrastructure will continue to deteriorate and impede economic growth.
Construction employment increased in 274 out of 358 metro areas between August 2016 and August 2017, declined in 52 and stagnated in 32, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that the construction job gains come even as 70 percent of responding firms reported having a hard time finding qualified craft workers to hire.
Ida Cheinman, Substance151It’s time that professional services firms faced a couple of hard truths: First, no one wants to subscribe to an e-newsletter, and second, a single email is not going to make the phones ring.
AGC filed comments this week on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s joint proposed rule to repeal the 2015 definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS). AGC offered strong support for the agencies’ plan to re-codify regulatory text that existed prior to the 2015 WOTUS rule to “reflect[] the current legal regime under which the agencies are operating” following a nationwide stay of the rule by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “Board”) now has a full complement of five members with a Republican majority for the first time in roughly a decade. This follows from the September 27 swearing in of Republican William J. Emanuel as a Board member for a term ending on August 27, 2021. Emanuel is the second Trump nominee to join the Board, following Republican Marvin E. Kaplan’s swearing in on August 10 for a term ending on August 27, 2020.
On September 25, AGC submitted comments to the U. S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) in response to a Request for Information (RFI) on the 2016 changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime regulations. In line with AGC’s regulatory recommendations, this RFI is the first step the DOL is undertaking to revisit the overtime rule that dramatically increased the salary threshold for exempt employees. AGC and its members were concerned that imposing such a large and immediate increase might result in unintended consequences, particularly for small construction companies, construction employers in lower‐wage regions, and construction personnel.