flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Appellate court enacts nationwide stay on controversial expansion of Clean Water Act

Codes and Standards

Appellate court enacts nationwide stay on controversial expansion of Clean Water Act

New EPA rule suspended until court cases settled.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | October 16, 2015

The EPA had expanded the definition of “waters of the United States” under the act to include smaller streams and other bodies of water. Photo: GinaD/Wikimedia Commons.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit enacted a nationwide stay on the Environmental Protection Agency’s expanded Clean Water Act provisions.

The EPA had expanded the definition of “waters of the United States” under the act to include smaller streams and other bodies of water. The Sixth Circuit Court said in its ruling: “A stay temporarily silences the whirlwind of confusion that springs from uncertainty about the requirements of the new rule and whether they will survive legal testing.”

The EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers will use their previous definitions of “waters of the U.S.” until federal courts sort out the validity of the expanded definition.

“We applaud the court for taking this action to suspend EPA’s water rule,” said National Association of Home Builders Chairman Tom Woods. “NAHB has been working diligently on the legislative and legal fronts to overturn this rule that raises housing costs, tramples states’ rights, and adds unnecessary regulatory burdens to small businesses.”

Related Stories

Codes and Standards | Apr 18, 2022

Dept. of Energy has RFI on funding cost-effective updated energy codes implementation

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building Technologies Office (BTO) has issued a request for information regarding funding cost-effective implementation of updated building energy codes.

Legislation | Apr 14, 2022

Defense Dept. building largest 3D-printed structures in Western Hemisphere

The U.S. Department of Defense is constructing three barracks at the Camp Swift Training Center in Bastrop, Texas that will each be the largest 3D-printed structures in the Americas.

Wood | Apr 13, 2022

Mass timber: Multifamily’s next big building system

Mass timber construction experts offer advice on how to use prefabricated wood systems to help you reach for the heights with your next apartment or condominium project. 

Codes and Standards | Apr 13, 2022

LEED multifamily properties fetch higher rents and sales premiums

LEED-certified multifamily properties consistently receive higher rents than non-certified rental complexes, according to a Cushman & Wakefield study of two decades of data on Class A multifamily assets with 50 units or more.

Legislation | Apr 11, 2022

Dept. of Energy releases RFI for K-12 schools energy upgrade program

The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) released a Request for Information (RFI) to help decide how best to spend $500 million from the recently passed federal infrastructure law for K-12 public school energy upgrades.

Codes and Standards | Apr 8, 2022

Dept. of Energy boosts energy efficiency standards for federal buildings

The Department of Energy’s recently released new energy efficiency standards for federal buildings.

Codes and Standards | Apr 7, 2022

Uptake of low-carbon materials expected to get a boost from federal building plan

Low-carbon materials will get a sizeable boost via purchases through a federal $3.4 billion building plan to modernize U.S. border crossings.

Codes and Standards | Apr 6, 2022

ABC and AFSP form partnership on mental health and suicide prevention in construction

Associated Builders and Contractors and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention recently formed a partnership to address mental health and suicide prevention in the U.S. construction industry.

Codes and Standards | Apr 5, 2022

New York City chooses 20 firms for architectural design services on future public building projects

The New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) has contracted with 20 firms to provide architectural design services for the city’s future public buildings projects under the latest round of DDC’s Project Excellence Program.

Codes and Standards | Apr 4, 2022

Construction of industrial space continues robust growth

Construction and development of new industrial space in the U.S. remains robust, with all signs pointing to another big year in this market segment

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021