�鶹��Ƶ

Public and Commercial Buildings are Target for Future Rules The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the details for an upcoming public meeting - set for June 26, 2013 - on the subject of EPA’s ongoing evaluation into whether to and how to regulate renovation, repair and painting (RRP) activities in all public and commercial buildings that purportedly have lead-based paint.  EPA provided advanced notice of this meeting earlier in the year, when it solicited comment from stakeholders who manage or perform RRP work on the exterior or interior of such buildings.  �鶹��Ƶ has already submitted detailed comments questioning the lack of lead-paint data for public and commercial buildings. �鶹��Ƶ is also preparing to testify at the upcoming public meeting. 

As �鶹��Ƶ predicted and reported last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 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 p.m. EDT.

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 �鶹��Ƶ’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 �鶹��Ƶ 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 �鶹��Ƶ’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 �鶹��Ƶ Annual Convention last month, �鶹��Ƶ presented its National Committee Chair of the Year Award to Connie Determan of Kiewit Corporation (Omaha, Neb.) for her outstanding leadership of �鶹��Ƶ’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 �鶹��Ƶ’s Environmental Forum and advance �鶹��Ƶ’s educational and advocacy efforts.

Unless EPA Shows Hazard and Causal Linkage to Renovation Work, Additional Rules Unwarranted �鶹��Ƶ 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, �鶹��Ƶ celebrates green construction efforts on Earth Day, along with its chapters and members.  While �鶹��Ƶ debuts a new online toolkit for building energy code information, �鶹��Ƶ 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.