Join Us Oct. 5-6 in Washington, DC to Learn from Your Peers, Industry Experts and Regulators
OSHA, EPA and FWS Finalize New Maximum Civil Penalties
Register now and tune in on July 19, 2016, from 2p.m. to 3p.m. Eastern Time.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery recently released two documents to support the beneficial use of industrial non-hazardous secondary materials-a methodology for evaluating beneficial use and a compendium of resources. These documents are part of an ongoing EPA effort to provide resources on evaluating beneficial use following the issuance of its rule on the disposal of coal combustion residuals (CCR), including fly ash (see related Observer article, Jan. 2015).
On June 22, 2016, President Obama signed into law the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, providing significant new authority for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to govern both new and existing chemicals. This bipartisan effort amends the 40-year old Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), and marks the first major update to an environmental statute in 20 years.
***See also, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â’s Resilience Series Part 2: Preparing Buildings for the Next Natural Disaster***
Join us Oct. 5-6 in Washington, D.C. Early bird rates apply through July!
On May 25, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council issued a proposed rule that would require some federal contractors to indicate whether they publicly disclose greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reduction goals or targets. Comments are due by July 25, and °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â is reviewing the proposed rule to assess implications for general contractors.
°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â recently submitted extensive comments on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) draft 2017 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Construction General Permit (draft CGP), based on the Association’s members’ input. °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â has devotedly represented the construction industry’s main concerns with EPA’s draft CGP and offered detailed recommendations on how to improve it by communicating closely with the agency’s construction stormwater leads through e-mails, conference calls, and face-to-face meetings and, most recently, via °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â’s 44-page comment letter. To the extent that EPA adopts more stringent permit provisions, it affects construction firms everywhere because states that run their own stormwater permit programs generally follow EPA’s lead in adopting enhanced protections.
In celebration of National Building Safety Month, traditionally recognized throughout the month of May, °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â participated in an exclusive, invitation-only White House Conference on Resilient Building Codes. Speakers shared insights on what adaptations buildings require in order to enhance resiliency, how to support local communities in protecting their building stock from natural and other disasters, and suggestions on incorporating resilience attributes into codes and standards. Click here for the White House fact sheet on the event.