The people I've met through AGC have helped me both personally and professionally. Every contractor needs those resources and those relationships. If you want to be successful, well then, you need AGC.
In a fiercely competitive environment, as we’ve been experiencing over the past few years, small differences can play a major role in whether you win or lose a proposal competition.
Let’s be honest with ourselves. We all provide the exact same services our competitors do. And for the most part, our qualifications and experiences are the same.
On Dec. 14, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its Semiannual Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions and Regulatory Plan as part of the government-wide Unified Agenda—setting the path for the agency over the next year. Of particular interest to contractors, the Regulatory Agenda includes the repeal and replacement of the 2015 Waters of the United States Rule (see related article), which will remain a focus for the agency. AGC also notes that the agency is reworking the 2015 coal combustion residual disposal rule (e.g., fly ash).
On January 22, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that legal challenges to the 2015 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule belong in the district rather than appellate courts. In short, this Supreme Court decision will result in lifting an appellate court’s nationwide stay of the 2015 WOTUS rule that has been in effect since Oct. 2015. The definition of WOTUS dictates the scope of the federal government’s control and Clean Water Act permitting authority over construction work in water and wet areas. Whereas this ruling may be a victory for industry in the long term, the timing of the decision is unfortunate as the Administration is still working to repeal and replace the 2015 WOTUS rule. In the short term, we anticipate confusion as the process plays out.
House Transportation Committee Considers Environmental Streamlining
On Jan. 5, AGC urged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to remove the goal of “net conservation gain” from the Service’s Mitigation Policy and Endangered Species Act (ESA)–Compensatory Mitigation Policy, finalized in late 2016. AGC asserts that that the “improvement” goal is not supported under the ESA; the goal fails to provide a clear limit on how much mitigation is necessary and blurs the line between recommendations and requirements.
Clients’ needs and expectations relative to the services provided by their design and construction partners are evolving. Savvy clients have increased their demand for turnkey services and a higher level of detailed information far earlier in the project planning process. Beyond programming, owners are looking to understand milestone dates, disruption of ongoing operations, and a firm cost for the project, all earlier than this information is typically provided.
AGC called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to apply federally approved “Recommended Best Practices for Environmental Reviews and Authorizations for Infrastructure Projects” in delegated states that EPA has authorized to implement and enforce a federal environmental permit program.
AGC commented this week on three separate Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) regulatory proposals to expedite project delivery by streamlining the federal environmental review process. The FHWA proposals implement various AGC supported provisions in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), intended to make the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) procedures work better.
For AGC’s most recent episode of the ConstructorCast, we sit down with Leah Pilconis, AGC’s Senior Counsel of Environmental Law, to talk about the complex world of environmental permitting and what AGC is doing to try to make it easier for construction companies.
Date: Feb. 28, 2018 - Wednesday
Time: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Location: Hyatt Regency New Orleans
