News

n a speech on March 22 at the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies annual conference in Washington, D.C., U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson announced the agency is developing a broad new set of strategies to strengthen public health protection from contaminants in drinking water.

The aim is to find solutions that meet the health and economic needs of communities across the country more effectively than the current approach. EPA is also announcing a decision to revise the existing drinking water standards for four contaminants that can cause cancer.

Read more.

Read Jacksons speech here.

EPA continues to vigorously enforce the nation’s environmental laws. In fiscal year (FY) 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency’s enforcement and compliance program concluded civil and criminal enforcement actions requiring polluters to invest an estimated $5.4 billion to reduce pollution, clean up contaminated land and water, achieve compliance and fund environmentally beneficial projects. Civil and criminal defendants committed to reduce pollution by approximately 570 million pounds annually once all required controls are fully implemented.

Go to EPA website to veiw reults, interactive maps, and more information.

EPA Tightens Construction Stormwater Program To Mandate Nationwide Discharge Limits, Monitoring Requirements and Prescriptive Controls
 

On December 1, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published final regulations that will add substantial new nationwide requirements and liability exposures with respect to stormwater runoff from construction sites.  The so-called Construction and Development Effluent Limitations Guidelines (C&D ELG) rule sets first-time nationwide monitoring requirements and enforceable numeric limits on the amount of sediment that can run off any construction site that disturbs 10 or more acres of land at any one time.  The rule also specifies the exact types of erosion and sediment controls that contractors must use, at a bare minimum, to control stormwater runoff on all construction sites that disturb one or more acres of land.  The rule will take effect on February 1, 2010, and be phased in over four years.  Complete information is available on EPA's Web site. 

 

Read more: EPA Stormwater Program To Mandate Nationwide Discharge Limits, Monitoring Requirements

Monday, October 26, 2009

AGC Leader:  Rick Lorenz, Duininck Brothers Inc
(Member Case Study: Chris Steele, HI Stormwater Risk Management)

 

Read more: AGC Environmental Network Steering Committee Meeting October 26 – 27, 2009

To ensure the construction industry’s voice is heard, AGC is creating a Stormwater Task Force of 12-15 AGC Environmental Network members to respond to current rulemaking efforts and enforcement initiatives aimed at restricting construction site runoff.

Read more: AGC is creating a Stormwater Task Force