For the first time in over a decade there is a long-term authorization of federal highway and transit programs in place following President Obama signing the five-year $302 billion Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act into law on December 4th. The FAST Act also addresses environmental streamlining and congestion mitigation and air quality – two issues of interest to environmental professionals in the construction industry.

In the last full year of the Obama Administration, AGC expects the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to take action on the several environmental rules/permits affecting the construction industry. Below is a list of the rules to watch and a handout with more details.

Teri Jones, SUNDT As a professional working in the Business Development world, you are probably acutely aware that the reason for your existence is to Develop Business and that entails more than fine dining and golf! Pre-Winning plays a large role in your company’s ability to secure the type of work, and build the type of relationships, that will produce the desired results.

Improvements Needed to Ensure Dust Storms, Wildfires Do Not Cause Clean Air Violations Note: EPA has extended the public comment deadline to Feb. 3, 2016. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed changes to its “Exceptional Events Rule” (EER) that allows the agency to exclude certain air-quality monitoring data – associated with uncontrollable or unpreventable emissions – when determining whether or not an area violates a National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS). EPA also released a draft version of guidance for states seeking to demonstrate that a wildfire event affected monitored ozone concentrations. This package of documents could be critical for states looking for all possible options to help them attain EPA’s recently tightened ozone NAAQS. EPA will take comment on the proposed rule revisions and draft guidance through Jan. 19, and hold a Dec. 8 public hearing on the effort in Phoenix, AZ.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released interim recommendations of standards and ecolabels to help federal buyers green their purchases (updated Nov. 2015). Federal purchasers should use EPA's interim recommendations to select environmentally preferable products and services until EPA’s formal guidelines (currently in draft form) are finalized.

In the Midst of Nationwide Stay, Federal Agencies Work to ‘Improve’ 404 Permit Program The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has posted a statement on its website concerning the litigation over the new “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule, acknowledging that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has temporarily blocked EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) from implementing the new rule, pending further action of the court. The statement confirms that the agencies are back to using the prior regulatory definition of WOTUS and applicable guidance (status quo as it existed before the new rule) in making jurisdictional determinations or taking other actions based on the definition of WOTUS. Despite this holding pattern, EPA and the Corps have directed their staff to move ahead with measures to “improve” implementation of the national Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 permit program, as promised when the new rule was released.

Colleen Kelly, Beacon Occupational Health & Safety Services Has all of the romance drained out of your business proposals? You used to spend hours thinking about the client’s needs and wants. What would their ideal contractor look like? How could I show that we’re the perfect match? But lately, things have become stale. You’re less interested in them and would much rather talk about yourself. If your win rate is going down the tubes, now’s the time to rethink your proposal writing strategy.

Jon O'Brien, Master Builders Association LinkedIn has been called Facebook for professionals, the virtual rolodex, and the headhunter’s haven to name a few. Regardless of what you call this online network, LinkedIn can be important for business development. Before delving into LinkedIn business development advice, let’s look at why LinkedIn is beneficial for the construction industry.

Cynthia Paul, FMI Corporation Have you ever noticed that some people and companies just seem to stand out, and everywhere you turn, they are being quoted or interviewed or are consistently receiving better scores on proposals? They are not much different than others; but, like the old E.F. Hutton advertisement asserts, when they speak, people listen. So what is the difference? In a world of specialized expertise, everyone, from owners of construction projects to your company looking for new talent, wants people with deep expertise and a proven track record of generating results. Being good at what you do, however, is not enough to make you or your company shine; people need to know that you are good at what you do. If you want to stop being that hidden jewel or are looking to make your company’s proposals stand out more, try these few quick tips for getting recognized in writing.

Chuck Fenske, Knoch Corporation In order to execute a successful business development program, it is important to define what business development truly means and what steps are required to make it so. At its core, business development is the strategic manufacturing of revenue growth opportunities. While some use the term as a synonym for sales and others include mergers and acquisitions, business development actually involves a broader scope including corporate strategy, marketing, sales, and human resources. Each of these are prevalent throughout the following steps, which outline a successful business development process.