ż submitted comments November 6 to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) supporting its proposal to repeal an Obama-era rule requiring states to measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when planning transportation improvement projects. ż joined with 38 other organizations with similar interests in transportation infrastructure enhancements in challenging FHWA’s authority to mandate the measurements pointing out that Congress, in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, called for development of performance measurement standards but specifically limited those measures to safety related issues, pavement and bridge conditions and congestion.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have opened a docket to collect written comments on how “Waters of the United State” or WOTUS definition should revised. The agencies have spent the last few months gathering public feedback through a series of listening sessions and an in-person meeting for small entities. ż participated in the listening session for construction and transportation and is preparing written recommendations by the Nov. 28, 2017, deadline. It is not too late to participate, see below for information on how.
Mark your calendars. Co-located with its 99th Annual Convention, ż will host its latest series of roundtable discussions exclusively for in-house environmental managers at construction firms on Wednesday, February 28, 2018, at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans. This ż In-House Environmental Managers Meeting is a day of peer-to-peer learning and information sharing. The meeting is highly interactive and you set the agenda for the discussions to address the top items on your to-do-list or jobsite concerns.
Jenny Grounds, BOUDREAUXThe idea of performing market research can often feel like a burden for small marketing groups. The everyday tasks already on your to-do list can easily fill up a 40-hour work week. Where do you find the time to research, compile, and analyze piles of data on top of everything else? Market research doesn’t have to be complex or require robust, expensive studies to be effective. By breaking it into small, manageable pieces, you can gather information that will directly benefit your A/E/C firm without overtasking your teams.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt signed an agency-wide directive (and accompanying memo) on Oct. 16 that imposes steps to end the practice known as “sue and settle” – which is a quick resolution of citizen suits by environmental groups against the EPA, involving the agency’s failure to comply with statutory deadlines for issuance of regulations. Such agreements are oftentimes reached with little to no public input or transparency, EPA said, calling such a practice “regulation through litigation.” ż has long expressed concern that special interest groups are using these lawsuits to force the EPA to issue regulations that advance their interests and priorities. The chief executive officer of ż praised EPA for “putting an end to back room agreements ... [and] making sure that all affected parties have an opportunity to contribute to the discussion about measures needed to protect our environment.”
On October 18, ż submitted recommendations to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), highlighting the regulatory burden on the construction industry and offered specific program modifications and solutions relating to performing work with USACE.
Each year, ż seeks nominations for qualified and motivated individuals from the ż Environmental Forum to serve on the steering committee for the forum. Would you like to play a leadership role in ż of America’s environmental advocacy, education and outreach efforts?
In late September, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) reinstated, on a temporary basis, a requirement that states account for on-road greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) when planning transportation improvement projects. On Oct. 5, FHWA proposed a rulemaking to formally repeal the measure with a goal of finalizing it by spring 2018. FHWA pointed out that a GHG measure is not required by statute and is a burdensome and an unnecessary addition to the planning review. FHWA limited the comment period to 30 days in an effort to eliminate this requirement before states would be required to implement it.
The Trump Administration reinforced its commitment to ensure that the Federal environmental review and permitting process for infrastructure projects is coordinated, predictable, and transparent.. President Trump, through Executive Order (EO) 13807, Establishing Discipline and Accountability in the Environmental Review and Permitting Process for Infrastructure Projects, issued on Aug. 15, identified concerns with the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) – including lack of coordination among federal agencies, overlapping statutory requirements, and redundant processes – and called on federal agencies to undertake reforms.