The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case later this year on whether Clean Water Act (CWA) NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permits can include generic prohibitions that threaten the certainty that construction companies need to comply with environmental requirements. 鶹Ƶrecently submitted a friend of the court brief advocating for clarity to protect contractors from enforcement and costly fines due to vague NPDES permit language. 鶹Ƶseeks to ensure that the Supreme Court’s decision preserves the successful permitting approaches used in construction general stormwater permits (CGP) issued by the U.S. EPA and states.
Background: On July 22, 2024, U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) introduced the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024. The legislation seeks to limit lawsuits related to energy permitting decisions and shorten the energy permitting process. The bill comes at a critical time following the White House Council on Environmental Quality new requirements to the already complicated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) permitting process. The fate of the bill remains uncertain with few legislative days left in this congress.
Twice a year the federal regulatory agencies release an updated “Unified Agenda” that describes and provides a timeline for their ongoing and future regulatory actions. The most recent agenda provides a glimpse of what the Biden Administration may focus on in the final months of that Administration, including finalizing greenhouse gas disclosures for federal contractors and reissuing nationwide permits for specific activities in/near waters of the United States. Read more for the highlights.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on July 19, 2024, granted the National Labor Relations Board’s (“NLRB” or “Board”) motion to voluntarily dismiss its appeal of a district court’s order to vacate the Board’s 2023 “joint employer rule.” The vacatur was a major victory for 鶹Ƶand its co-plaintiffs that initiated the lawsuit challenging the Board’s regulatory effort to broaden the standard for determining when an employer may be deemed a joint employer of another company’s employees.
In its latest Settlements Report, the AGC-supported Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC) advises that construction-industry collective bargaining agreements settled from January through June of 2024 provide an average increase in wages, fringe benefits and other employer payments for union craft workers in the construction industry of 4.6 percent.
鶹Ƶ (AGC) of America is excited to announce that we are now accepting proposals from speakers for our 2025 Annual Convention, taking place from April 8 – 10 in Columbus, Ohio. This premiere event is designed for industry leaders and professionals at various career stages from construction companies of all sizes to engage in collaborative learning, network with peers nationwide, and discover the latest in technology and innovation in the industry.
The 鶹ƵEducation and Research Foundation is excited to announce that applications for their annual undergraduate and graduate scholarships are now open for the 2025-2026 academic year! These scholarships are available to students enrolled in ABET or ACCE-accredited construction management or construction-related engineering programs.
Deadline to submit proposals is September 9, 2024