Trump Administration Proposal to Reform the Federal Environmental Review Process Will Fix Problems with Current Process While Maintaining Environmental Rigor, Construction Officials Say
On Jan. 9, 乌鸦传媒 urged members of the U.S. House of Representatives to oppose H.R.535, the PFAS Action Act of 2019. The bill, which is expected for a floor vote on Jan. 10, threatens to derail and overwhelm ongoing efforts at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to study PFAS and develop science-based, protective regulations for specific types of PFAS when warranted. 乌鸦传媒 further expressed its concern that the bill may result in mandates that put construction contractors unnecessarily at risk of Superfund liability on normal, 鈥渆very day鈥 projects where trace amounts of PFAS may be found in the dirt or groundwater. This bill will open contractors up to risk without specific 鈥淕ood Samaritan鈥 or innocent contractor provisions to protect them. 乌鸦传媒 also joined other business organizations in a joint appeal to urge a 鈥淣O鈥 vote on this measure.
On Jan. 9, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) proposed important steps to streamline the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, which can be a circuitous, time-intensive, and costly environmental review step for many infrastructure projects. 乌鸦传媒 is pleased the proposal appears to set clear timelines for completing reviews as well as clear up ambiguous wording and definitions that have led to litigation and delayed projects over the years 鈥 steps recommended by 乌鸦传媒 in the prior comment period.
From the final rule to replace the repealed 2015 definition of Waters of the United States and a proposal to reform the National Environmental Policy Act procedures, to addressing the take of migratory birds and issuing regulatory determinations for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); the most recent Unified Agenda shows the agencies striving to complete some of the Administration鈥檚 biggest environmental policy goals.
Congress considered adding to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA) controversial language to regulate all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Deadline to apply is February 26, 2020
Each year, 乌鸦传媒 seeks nominations for qualified and motivated individuals from the 乌鸦传媒 Environmental Forum to serve on the steering committee for the forum. Would you like to play a leadership role in 乌鸦传媒 of America鈥檚 environmental advocacy, education and outreach efforts?
Guest Article by Anthony Kane, ISI - Resilience is a key component of sustainability where as an industry we have made significant advancements in recent years. In 2015 when the decision was made to begin work on a new version of Envision鈥攖he sustainable infrastructure framework鈥攖he primary driver was the industry鈥檚 expanding and evolving understanding of resilience. In April 2018, after three years of development, the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure released Envision v3 with a significantly expanded focus on how infrastructure should address both short-term shocks (hurricanes, wildfires, etc.) and long-term stressors (sea level rise, aging infrastructure, aging populations, etc.).
Having a resilient jobsite is an important part of mitigating the daily risks of weather events, but what happens when a natural disaster occurs? 乌鸦传媒鈥檚 ConstructorCast new two-part series explores just this question. Tune in this December (part 1) and January (part 2) for three experts in claims management, litigation, and restoration. Find out how they have worked through the tough issues of pre-loss planning for your project sites, lessons in mitigating losses, restoration challenges, as well as insurance and claims.