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Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wy.) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.) filed an amendment last week to the Energy and Water Appropriations “Minibus” that would stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) from finalizing a complex rulemaking that would greatly expand the federal government’s permitting authority over state and private land and water resources.  ��ѻ��ý has fought several legislative and regulatory attempts in recent years to expand the reach of federal Clean Water Act “wetlands” permit coverage.

��ѻ��ý environmental victories include “wins” on issues such as: National Air Standards, EPA’s ‘Mud Rule,’ Fly Ash in Construction, Lead Paint ‘Clearance’ Testing, Off-road Diesel Emissions Rules and Funding for Diesel Retrofit. These efforts save member firms billions of dollars every year.

If you have oil on your jobsite, or at your asphalt plant, be aware of the Nov. 10, 2011, deadline to comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) oil spill planning rule. The federal Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) program applies to the owner and operator of any construction site that has the “capacity” to store more than 1,320 gallons of any type of oil product in above ground storage tanks/containers.

WHEN:            June 7, 2012 thru June 8, 2012 WHERE:         Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia ��ѻ��ý is looking for presenters to speak at the 2012 ��ѻ��ý’s Contractors Environmental Conference: Compliant. Competitive. Cost-Effective. ��ѻ��ý is holding the conference on June 7-8, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia, right outside of Washington, D.C. The deadline for submitting a proposal is December 19, 2011. Recognizing today’s tough and competitive economic environment, this conference is geared towards helping contractors get their return on investment in environmental compliance and market opportunities. There will be opportunities for attendees to learn from the experts and for peer-to-peer learning.

��ѻ��ý and the non-profit Clean Air Task Force (CATF) are jointly supporting bipartisan federal legislation that would provide state transportation officials the authority and funding to incorporate the use of clean construction equipment on federally-funded transportation projects in areas of the country that are not meeting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) standards for fine airborne particulates (PM-2.5).  ��ѻ��ý and CATF share a common interest in improving air quality and ensuring that the next generation of infrastructure projects is built using clean emission control technology.

Congress is moving forward on legislation that would prevent coal combustion residuals (CCRs) from being designated as “hazardous” waste—safeguarding the use of fly ash in construction.  The U.S. House of Representatives passed ��ѻ��ý-supported legislation, H.R. 2273, the Coal Residuals and Management Act earlier this month.  A companion bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate.  Meanwhile, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will accept comment until November 14 on select data the agency received in response to last year’s proposal to regulate the disposal of CCRs as either hazardous or non-hazardous waste.

Deadline for all entries is Friday, November 4, 2011

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it will not tighten its national limit on coarse dust particles in the air.  That change could have dealt a tough economic blow to businesses, notably construction and demolition workers and aggregate producers that kick up quantities of dirt in the ordinary course of operation.  Environmental groups now  have shifted their focus to securing stricter national limits on the smaller fine (soot) particles in the air, like those that come from diesel-powered vehicles and equipment.

This article is the third article in ��ѻ��ý’s three-part series on SPCC compliance.  By Chris Ennes, Western Region Environmental Manager for Ames Construction, Inc.; member of ��ѻ��ý’s Environmental Forum Steering Committee It is a late weeknight evening and my cell phone rings. A project superintendent alerts me that a portable aboveground storage tank (AST) has been mobilized on one of Ames’ construction sites.  He wants to know the best spot to stage the tank and then asks if it is okay to put fuel into it.  Over time, one learns as an environmental manager of a construction firm how to field an impromptu call like this.

Today, the House approved H.R. 2681, the Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act of 2011, a bill that would force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to rewrite three new rules targeting cement makers that impose stringent emission requirements and solid waste standards on the industry.