On Nov. 15, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized an AGC-supported rule expanding the universal waste regulations to include aerosol cans and streamlining the management of this waste. It should help construction firms maintain a lower-tier generator category, because aerosol cans are often the only hazardous waste stream produced on a construction site. The also rule promotes safe puncturing practices and recycling. EPA estimates it will reduce the regulatory cost between $5.3 million to $47.8 million annually.
Check out AGC’s new jobsite tour brochure that will assist you in hosting state and local elected officials on tours of construction jobsites. This brochure provides information on how to successfully plan and execute a successful jobsite visit with an elected official from the invitation to the thank you notes. As you may know, one of AGC’s advocacy goals this year has been to help member companies host job site tours for members of Congress to provide a hands-on learning experience of the construction industry. These events have been successful in discussing workforce development, infrastructure funding, federal regulations, and other issues critical to our members with those who have legislative authority over our industry. While AGC will continue to complete jobsite tours with members of Congress, we hope you will use this resource to host state and local elected officials on your construction jobsites.
On Nov. 12, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced approximately $900 million in grant awards through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) transportation grant program to improve the Nation’s surface transportation infrastructure. The fiscal year 2019 funding was awarded on a competitive basis to 55 projects across the country. The BUILD grants program receives federal funding through the annual transportation, housing and urban development, and related agencies appropriation bill. To view the list of projects and the summaries of individual projects, please click here.
On Nov. 14, AGC joined transportation stakeholders in urging Congress to repeal a $7.6 billion cut to federal highway funding, known as a “rescission,” scheduled for July 1, 2020. The rescission—required by the FAST Act—affects all 50 states and the District of Columbia (specific impacts by state here) by limiting local flexibility and possibly hindering the ability to plan and carry out critical projects. Specific information on the impact to individual states is needed to bolster the case for corrective legislative action. To that end, AGC is requesting that AGC chapters and members please share any information regarding the short- and long-term impacts of the rescission on individual states with AGC’s Murphie Barrett.
AGC’s Lean Construction Forum is focused on growing the implementation of lean practices in the construction industry by providing educational opportunities and developing a community where anyone with an interest in lean construction can come together to engage in a dialog on best practices, share information, and participate in a broad, coordinated effort to promote and define the use of lean concepts and processes within the construction industry.
The AGC Business Development Forum brings together Business Development professionals in one place, for one purpose – creating business opportunities by sharing the latest techniques and tools of Business Development, following and reporting on trends in the construction market and connecting a network of professionals invested in building better businesses. AGC’s BD Forum members include project managers, C-Suite executives, specialty contractors, marketing professionals and more - AGC’s BD Forum is for everyone because everyone is involved in BD!
A great crowd participated in AGC’s 2019 BuildCon held November 7-8, 2019 at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, AZ. The event brought together high-level leaders in the Building construction industry where they gained first-hand knowledge and insight from industry peers on models of collaboration, behaviors, workforce skillsets and ideologies that propel our industry forward.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) recently announced the release of its new technical assistance guide created specifically for construction contractors. OFCCP intends for construction contractors to use the technical assistance guide as a self-assessment tool to review the practices they have in place to eliminate discrimination and achieve their equal employment opportunity goals.
March 11, 2020, at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino