The U.S. House of Representatives voted to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to eliminate a proposed rule that would expand the definition of waters that are subject to the Clean Water Act.
Builders, farmers, and others had objected to the rule, saying the proposed definition, which would include small bodies of water such as ponds, creeks, and ditches on private property, would force landowners to get federal permits before they could work around them.
Construction industry advocates contend that the proposed rule was too great an expansion of the kinds of water regulated by the government, and would stop building projects and cost jobs.
“The poorly crafted and overreaching Waters of the U.S. rule adds a great deal of ambiguity and uncertainty for contractors, and we hope the Obama administration sees today’s action as a bipartisan referendum against this bad rule,” said Geoff Burr, vice president of government affairs for Associated Builders and Contractors.
The House action means the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers will have to start from scratch in their efforts to update the Clean Water Act.
Related Stories
| Nov 6, 2013
Task force to examine resiliency in the face of climate change
President Barack Obama recently signed an executive order related to climate change and disaster-management efforts during severe weather events and other disasters.
| Nov 6, 2013
USGBC Northern California chapter focuses on improving indoor environments in green buildings
The Northern California branch of the U.S. Green Building Council is leading the “Building Health Initiative” that seeks to improve the indoor environment of green buildings.
| Oct 31, 2013
OSHA enacts 47-day extension for comment period on silica-exposure rule
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has extended the public comment period on its silica-dust exposure rule by 47 days.
| Oct 31, 2013
Updates to California’s building codes take effect Jan. 1
Green-building and accessibility are the major themes of the 2013 updates to California’s construction codes that are set to take effect Jan. 1.
| Oct 31, 2013
IECC code updates include better lighting controls and new HVAC technology
The proposed new code will increase the mandatory installation of occupancy sensors and daylighting controls to many new types of spaces.
| Oct 31, 2013
Effects of green, white roofs to be compared at Walmart in Oregon
Portland State University will construct a 40,000 sf green roof research site on the top of a new Walmart store in North Portland, Ore., and compare it to a 52,000 sf section of roof with a white membrane.
| Oct 31, 2013
GSA okays Green Globes; USGBC counters forestry industry concerns
Green Globes, a LEED rival, was recently declared to be nearly equal with LEED standards by the General Services Administration.
| Oct 25, 2013
California struggles with updated seismic codes
In California, there are still hundreds of concrete buildings that need reinforcement to bring them up to the new seismic code.
| Oct 24, 2013
Supplement No. 2 to AISC 358-10 Prequalified Moment Connection Standard available for public review
Supplement No. 2 to the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) standard Prequalified Connections for Special and Intermediate Steel Moment Frames for Seismic Applications (AISC 358-10) is now available for public review.
| Oct 24, 2013
Changes in LEED v4 will have large impact on materials manufacturers
Changes to LEED in LEED v4 are so dramatic that they will send ripples into other industries and shift expectations on sustainability reporting and performance far beyond the building industry.
