Â鶹ÊÓƵ is looking for member materials to enrich the Building to LEED: Overview and the Impact on Construction Practices full-day course curriculum, which is undergoing revisions to reflect the newest version of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System for New Construction.  Â鶹ÊÓƵ will credit members that submit photographs, helpful hints or short case studies that illustrate the contractor's role in achieving specific prerequisites and credits in the rating system.
Prepare now for first-time nationwide numeric discharge limits and monitoring requirements. These new limits strictly enforce the amount of sediment allowed to run off any construction site disturbing 10 or more acres of land at any one time (whether contiguous or not). This new rule, issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in December 2009, also specifies the exact types of erosion and sediment controls that contractors must use, at a bare minimum, to control stormwater runoff on all construction sites that disturb one or more acres of land.  To find out what this means for contractors - sign up for Â鶹ÊÓƵ's March 2 webinar, 1:30 -3:00 pm ET.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ is working with EPA, the Federal Highway Administration, Construction Materials Recycling Association and other organizations on a one-day workshop that explores green construction approaches.Â
Citing new data showing California's emissions from off-road diesel equipment are below air quality targets for years to come, Â鶹ÊÓƵ called on state officials to immediately order at least a two-year delay of its new off-road "diesel retrofit" rule in an emergency petition filed January 11.  The delay is needed to avoid unnecessary losses and layoffs within the state's hard hit construction industry while the California Air Resources Board (CARB) continues to review the recently adopted engine emission standards that will force construction companies in California to retrofit or replace almost all of their heavy construction equipment that is currently in the field.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ responded to EPA's proposed rule to tighten the air quality standards for ground-level ozone this week in Engineering News-Record and Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Environmental Observer, and noted that the rule has resulted in restrictions on the operations of construction equipment around the country.
Citing new state data showing California's off-road diesel equipment operators will be well below new emissions targets for years to come, Â鶹ÊÓƵ called on state officials to immediately order at least a two-year delay for their new off-road "diesel retrofit" rule in an emergency petition filed Monday. The delay is needed to avoid unnecessary losses and layoffs within the state's hard hit construction industry while the California Air Resources Board continues to review its diesel rules.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Jan. 7 proposed to tighten the air quality standards for ground-level ozone issued in 2008 by the Bush administration and to set a separate secondary standard. According to agency estimates, the costs of implementing the proposal range from $19 billion to $90 billion. A final rule is expected by Aug. 31.
On December 23, Â鶹ÊÓƵ submitted comments on an EPA proposed "tailoring rule" that would change the thresholds specific to greenhouse gas emissions as they would apply to two stationary source permitting programs under the Clean Air Act: (1) new construction and major modification permits and (2) operating permits.
Early in 2009, EPA committed to issuing a final determination and possible new requirements for the disposal and reuse of coal combustion waste by the end of the year. On December 17, EPA announced that it will miss that deadline due to the complexity of the analysis it is currently finishing. EPA anticipates issuing a proposal in early 2010.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold five listening sessions in January 2010 in select cities to inform the public and solicit feedback on upcoming rules to strengthen the national stormwater program. EPA is particularly focused on further restricting stormwater discharges from newly developed and redeveloped construction sites. In addition to holding public meetings this month, EPA recently requested the construction industry's feedback on a draft "industry questionnaire" that the Agency plans to distribute this spring to collect detailed financial and technical information from real estate developers and general contractors to guide and inform the new stormwater runoff rulemaking. EPA plans to propose and take final action on its new stormwater rules by Nov. 2012.