The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced 17 enforcement actions for violations of the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (LRRP) rule. EPA believes that far too many firms are not complying with the LRRP requirements; a violation could cost you $37,500 per day. Click here for AGC’s Fact Sheet on what the LRRP rule requires.

May 9 UPDATE: EPA’s 2013 Diesel Retrofit Grant Competition is NOW OPEN! To view the Request for Proposals (RFP), application, instructions and all supporting information go here - http://epa.gov/cleandiesel/prgnational.htm.   Proposal packages are due by Tuesday, June 25, 2013, at 4:00 pm EDT. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently has approximately $20 million available in grant funding to reduce emissions from diesel engines nationwide, including those used in exiting fleets of construction equipment.  EPA anticipates releasing the 2013 Clean Diesel Funding Request for Proposals (RFP) this month.  Later in the year, the agency will award money to “eligible entities” (like AGC Chapters) that prevail in the national grant competition.  Get a head start on your application by participating in EPA’s webinar (May 13 or 14) and be sure to follow AGC’s grant writing tips, as detailed below.

The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia held that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to change, if not revoke, Section 404 “dredge-and-fill” discharge permits that have already been approved and issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). Mingo Logan Coal Co. v. USEPA, No. 12-5150 (D.C. Cir. April 23, 2013). The federal court ruled that CWA Section 404(c) grants EPA this power “whenever [it] determines” that the discharge will have an “unacceptable adverse effect” on identified environmental resources. The decision further complicates the already complex process of obtaining authorizations necessary for public works and private development projects.

At the AGC Annual Convention last month, AGC presented its National Committee Chair of the Year Award to Connie Determan of Kiewit Corporation (Omaha, Neb.) for her outstanding leadership of AGC’s Environmental Forum.  A member of the Forum’s Steering Committee since 2009, Connie Determan accepted the chairperson position in April 2012.  In this role, she works to maximize the accomplishments of AGC’s Environmental Forum and advance AGC’s educational and advocacy efforts.

Unless EPA Shows Hazard and Causal Linkage to Renovation Work, Additional Rules Unwarranted AGC and its partners in the “Commercial Properties Coalition” recently filed a 61-page response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) latest request for data and information on renovation and remodeling activities in public and commercial buildings and potential lead-based paint hazards therein.  EPA plans to use this to implement future regulatory determinations.  By July 1, 2015, EPA must decide whether or not it will propose new nationwide certification, training and lead-safe work practice requirements, all of which would apply to contractors who work in public and commercial buildings.

Today, AGC celebrates green construction efforts on Earth Day, along with its chapters and members.  While AGC debuts a new online toolkit for building energy code information, AGC chapters and members celebrate Earth Day through building green, recycling, carpooling, planting trees, cleaning up rivers and sponsoring awareness events.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently published a proposed rule to withdraw the nationwide numeric discharge limit from its 2009 Construction and Development Effluent Limitations Guidelines rule (C&D ELG), along with revising some of the rule’s non-numeric requirements. If faced with a numeric limit, contractors would have been required to monitor the turbidity levels in the stormwater running off their construction jobsites, implement extremely costly advanced treatment controls to try to meet EPA’s potentially unachievable legal limit and publicly report any exceedances of the limit. We urge you to submit any comments to EPA – they are due May 31, 2013.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued its final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit, regulating discharges, including ballast water, from commercial vessels. EPA’s 2013 Vessel General Permit (VGP) will replace the 2008 VGP when it expires on Dec. 19, 2013.  The permit provides the practices and procedures for owners and operators of vessels to comply with federal NPDES requirements.

FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez to Deliver Keynote at ConferenceAttendees at the AGC 2013 Contractors Environmental Conference (CEC) on June 13-14, 2013, will gain access to up-to-date information and resources on compliance and trends that affect the business of construction across the nation.  From a keynote address by Administrator Victor Mendez of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and award-winning speakers to this year’s “Compliance Assistance Hour: A Meet and Greet with the Federal Agencies,” AGC opens the doors to resources that help contractors maintain compliance and meet the sustainability goals of their projects. Watch a video interview of Administrator Mendez and learn more about the conference here.

Attendees at the AGC 2013 Contractors Environmental Conference (CEC) on June 13-14, 2013, will gain access to up-to-date information and resources on compliance and trends that affect the business of construction across the nation.  From a keynote address by Administrator Victor Mendez of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and award-winning speakers to this year’s “Compliance Assistance Hour: A Meet and Greet with the Federal Agencies”, AGC opens the doors to resources that help contractors maintain compliance and meet the sustainability goals of their projects. Watch a video interview of Administrator Mendez and learn more about the conference here.