Call for Presentations Is Open; Save the Date for September 13-14
Join AGC and EPA for this Free WebEd on March 1 at 1:30pm Eastern
The U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 13 announced it will resolve a dispute over what court should hear the legal challenges to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ controversial 2015 rule that redefines the term “Waters of the United States” in the Federal Code of Regulations. The WOTUS rule determines what waters and wet areas are subject to federal control, water quality limits, permitting, enforcement and other reviews under the Clean Water Act. States, industry, environmental advocates and others criticized the 2015 WOTUS rule in a host of district courts and courts of appeals.
AGC Highlights Major Accomplishments, Notable Changes and Areas for Improvement
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its final 2017 Construction General Permit (CGP). It takes effect on Feb. 16, 2017, which is when the 2012 CGP expires. As with any reissued CWA discharge permit, there comes new or modified requirements. AGC served its members well by making sure the construction industry’s top issues of concern were heard and vetted. We kept the most troubling provisions out – and we got some new clarifying language and flexible provisions worked in. Looking ahead, the new language on “joint and several liability” may prove to be contentious and will likely be a key focus of near-term debate and future improvement.
DOT Proposes Updates on Environmental Review Procedures Including Climate
Corps Refrains from Adding More Restrictions, Limits on Use of General Permits
AGC members, particularly its highway contractors, may breathe a sigh of relief when learning that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized a rule to relax a mandate for smaller cities to install near-road nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions monitoring stations. Indeed, it would not have been easy to administer a comprehensive monitoring network near roadways and obtain results that can be easily understood. Bad data could have pushed more areas into “nonattainment,” which puts highway/transit funding and new construction in jeopardy. AGC was also concerned about the increased use of roadway concentration data in future standard-setting processes or to inform transportation planning and decision making. (For instance, AGC recently responded unfavorably to a U.S. DOT proposal that contemplates measuring greenhouse gas emissions from on-road mobile sources as a way of evaluating highway performance.)
Join Us at the Bellagio Hotel on March 9, 2017
AGC Gets Results in 2016, Braces for More Water Rules in Early 2017
AGC is planning several events in the coming year that are of interest to environmental professionals in the industry. Please save the dates for these special events in 2017 and stay tuned for more information and exciting updates.