An ż-backed lawsuit has led the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota to issue a preliminary injunction of the Biden Administration’s 2023 “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule in 24 states (see below) on April 12. Adding to the two-state injunction the association secured from a Texas court as well as a preliminary injunction in Kentucky (ż of Kentucky joined the Chamber of Commerce on that case), the 2023 WOTUS rule is now temporarily blocked in over half the country: 27 states in all.
ż of America released the fourth video in its series of mental health videos recently for member firms to share with all employees. The video features Shayne Dinkle, a Seattle-area safety manager for iron workers, who lost a son to suicide. The pain and anger from that incident brought him close to taking his own life. But the support and compassion he received from his co-workers helped him overcome. The message from the video is clear, it is okay to share your pain, ask for help and offer it to co-workers who are suffering. The video is part of a broader ż effort to help overcome a construction industry mental health crisis that has resulted in the industry having a suicide rate that is four-times the national average. In addition to the video, ż has collected a host of resources for member firms and chapters to use as they address the industry’s mental health challenges. You can find those resources here.
The initiative leverages the U.S. Department of Labor’s expertise, programs, policies, partnerships, and authority to advance mental health and wellness in the workforce.
An Owner, General Contractor, and Subcontractor Walk into a Contract Negotiation Room and Agree on One Thing: ConsensusDocs is Extremely Helpful
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working on new programs to standardize the use of environmental product declarations (EPDs) and develop a low-carbon emission construction materials program as specified by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). EPDs provide data on the environmental attributes of a product and are a tool to support “buy clean” programs that mandate the use of low-carbon materials. Buy clean programs are new and untested. On May 1, ż provided written feedback to EPA that urges a measured approach to reduce any negative impacts on the supply chain and encourages innovation. ż highlighted the need to control the risks that arise when deviating from traditional roles and materials on projects, as well as, the importance of incentivizing markets while safeguarding materials’ performance.
Total construction spending increased by 0.3 percent in March as growth in manufacturing and education pulled up nonresidential construction spending for the month, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America today of new federal data. Association officials said the increases in construction demand were occurring during a time when most firms are struggling to find workers to hire.