Regulatory Outlook: Federal Agencies Take Steps on Key Environmental Issues

Federal agencies recently have initiated action on several key environmental issues of importance to AGC of America’s contractor members ranging from water policy and lead-dust to environmental reviews. This summer, AGC will prepare written responses to the agencies on five proposals from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ):

• EPA’s supplemental proposal clarifying issues related to the 2017 proposal to repeal the 2015 Clean Water Rule (Waters of the United States);
• EPA’s advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) related to assessing costs and benefits in the rulemaking process;
• EPA’s proposed changes strengthening the residential dust-lead hazard standards and defining lead-based paint;
• CEQ’s ANPR to update the regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); and
• EPA’s proposed decision to not develop a new (and purportedly duplicative) rulemaking under the Clean Water Act to address hazardous substance discharge prevention.

In May, AGC provided members with a preview of these anticipated actions, and others, based on the Federal Government’s Spring Unified Agenda.

For more information, contact Melinda Tomaino at tomainom@agc.org or (703) 837-5415.