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
| Mar 8, 2012
Green buildings more resilient than conventionally built structures
A new study by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning suggests that structures built to green standards can advance building resiliency.
| Mar 1, 2012
LEED Platinum standard likely to mean net-zero energy by 2018
As LEED standards continue to rise, the top level, LEED Platinum, will likely mean net-zero energy construction by 2018.
| Mar 1, 2012
EPA beefs up stormwater discharge rule from construction projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now finalized its 2012 construction general permit (CGP) that authorizes stormwater discharges from construction projects that disturb one or more acres of land in the areas where EPA is the permitting authority.
| Mar 1, 2012
Regulators investigate structural failures during construction of two Ohio casinos
Regulators with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration and the city of Cincinnati are investigatingthe collapse of the second floor of Cincinnati's Horseshoe Casino as workers were pouring concrete.
| Mar 1, 2012
Is your project too small for LEED? Consider other green standards
There are many other recognized national, state and local programs that offer a variety of best management practices and sustainable design, construction and operating strategies.
| Mar 1, 2012
California bill aims to cut costs for commercial building energy retrofits
A bill in the California Assembly would allow the state to pool together property owners’ energy-retrofit loans.
| Feb 29, 2012
Carvalho appointed Shawmut Safety Director
He has been a driving force behind multiple safety-orientated initiatives at Shawmut, including Safety Week, the creation of an online safety manual, and the implementation of a new safety reporting and tracking system.
| Feb 23, 2012
Federal budget cuts put major building projects on hold
A plan to build the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Kansas is among several major building projects in jeopardy after the Obama administration’s 2013 budget was unveiled. The budget would cut all construction spending for the facility.
