Author: agcnews
With bipartisan support, the Senate passes AGC-backed legislation to repeal a new Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule expanding federal permitting jurisdiction over wetlands and more construction projects, bolstering AGC litigation—which has expanded to 26 states—against the rule. On March 29, four Senate Democrats—Sens. Cortez Masto (Nev.), Manchin (W.Va.), Rosen (Nev.), Tester (Mont.)—and Senator Sinema (I-Arizona) joined Republicans in voting for AGC-backed legislation to repeal the Biden administration’s Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule expanding federal permitting jurisdiction over wet areas and more construction projects. The House passed the repeal measure on March 9. The president is expected to veto the WOTUS…
*****MAY 31 UPDATE: AGC-backed lawsuits have now halted the Biden administration’s WOTUS rule in 27 states. The Supreme Court has also weighed in and delegitimized the “significant nexus” test that the agencies used in the Biden administration’s WOTUS rule. Check out the updated AGC articles on the states where the rule is blocked and on the May 25th decision from the Supreme Court.***** An AGC-backed lawsuit halts the Biden administration’s new “Waters of the United States” regulation—which expands federal permitting over more construction projects around water, potentially even some ditches—in Texas and Idaho. An AGC-backed lawsuit has stopped federal agencies’ new 2023 “Waters…
The most significant construction cases include claims related to scope gaps, design changes, delay damages, lost productivity, cumulative impacts, and bad administration, according to John Sebastian of the law firm Watt Tieder who was one of three presenters on ConsensusDocs’ recently held a webinar on 10 Risk Management Maxims that Will Change your Approach to Project Delivery. Owner maladministration includes not responding to requests for information (RFIs) in a timely manner, and not responding to time extension requests. “The big cases always have indecision at their root cause. The worst decision is indecision,” Mr. Sebastian said, adding that “indecision in itself is…
On this episode of ConstructorCast, Mike Burke of Alberici Constructors and Dan Johnson of Mortenson, both serving as chairs on the Safety Week committee, share some history of the tradition, what this annual campaign means to them, and how you can get involved. Construction Safety Week is May 1-5. Visit constructionsafetyweek.com for more information!
AGC is pleased to announce the appointment of new members to serve on its Environmental Committee. Members of the committee have direct access to federal regulatory officials, influence over AGC’s environmental agenda, and a means to exchange valuable information with one another and industry peers. Join us in welcoming the new members. New MembersAnthony Curcio, Iron Woman ConstructionAndrew Krentz, Blythe Construction (Hubbard Construction)Theresa Lehman, Miron ConstructionPhilip Ryder, Ames Construction, Inc.Matthew Smith, GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.Christine Williams, Granite Construction CompanyMark Winslow, Gilbane Building Company Existing MembersChair: Amethyst Roebuck, PAR Electrical Contractors, Inc.Kyle Baker, Mortenson ConstructionDavid Bufo, McCarthy Holdings, Inc.Brittany Russell Conrady, Kiewit…
Austin’s Spire Consulting Group was named as the 2023 Diverse Business of the Year award winner by the Associated General Contractors of America, association officials announced today. The association also awarded Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Awards, sponsored by WTW, to Hensel Phelps, Gilbane Building Company, Battaglia Associates, Inc.; and Bermudez Longo Díaz Massó, LLC. “The intent of these awards is to identify the construction and related businesses that are leading the way in making our industry more inclusive and more diverse.” said Lester C. Snyder, the association’s 2023 president and executive vice president of Brightline West in Las Vegas, Nevada. “We want to…
AGC provided input to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at its March 23 “listening session” focused on the likely creation of a federal enforcement discretion policy to help address some of the unfounded and misplaced legal risks and cost to industry (i.e., potentially responsible parties) stemming from the agency’s recent regulatory proposal to designate two of the most widely used per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as hazardous substances. AGC has been raising the alert to Congress and EPA that certain regulatory approaches to address PFAS could overwhelm cleanup initiatives and drastically impact liability for general contractors on everyday projects for…
On March 28, AGC responded (via individual and coalition comments) to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) premature revision to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM). AGC supports the establishment of reasonable air quality rules that are necessary, based on sound science and measurably improve public health. However, this proposal would greatly increase the stringency of the PM NAAQS ahead of schedule, without clear justification in the science, and contrary to the Administration’s commitment to improve infrastructure and create jobs. Geographic areas that cannot meet these standards could face sanctions, such as a loss of federal highway funding or…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released the Spanish language version of its Construction Inspection Training Course. (The English version of the training is online here.) Construction site operators permitted under EPA’s 2022 Construction General Permit (CGP) are required to ensure that any individual conducting site inspections is a “qualified person.” The 2022 CGP includes new requirements for qualified persons that apply to all sites that receive permit coverage on or after February 17, 2023. After this date, an individual may be considered a qualified person only if they: EPA’s construction inspection training course and exam are available for use by any interested…
AGC volunteers came together for the 2023 Operation Opening Doors Charity Project at the Las Vegas Boys & Girls Club, focusing their efforts on renovating the gym to enhance the future well-being of the children. This project highlights the positive impact that dedicated community service can have, ensuring that the children have a well-maintained space to play, learn, and grow. Join us in San Diego, California for next year’s charity project!