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Construction

Construction Links
** Read Sector Strategies 2006 Performance Report

Contact

Peter Truitt (truitt.peter@epa.gov)
National Construction Sector Point-of-Contact
(202) 566-2970

Sector Profile

Construction is a $1 trillion industry (2004) employing 6.4 million people in 732,000 companies throughout the United States. The sector includes building construction, highway construction, heavy industrial construction (e.g., tunnels, airports, and dams), municipal utility construction (e.g., waste water treatment plants), and special trades such as plumbing, heating, and demolition contractors.

EPA and the states regulate construction site storm water runoff; dredge and fill activities in U.S. waters and wetlands; oil and chemical spills; air emissions; asbestos handling; and solid/hazardous waste storage and disposal. Construction practices may also affect indoor air quality, materials recycling, energy use, and vegetation and habitat quality.

In response to increasing awareness of the environmental impacts of building, "green construction" is a growing trend. Green construction seeks to minimize the impacts of construction activities on the environment. This is achieved through materials selection, recycling and reuse, sustainable design, energy efficiency, etc.

Working with the Industry

On May 1, 2003, EPA Administrator Christy Whitman announced the Sector Strategies partnership with the construction industry at the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) Leadership Conference in Washington, DC. AGC represents all segments of the construction industry, except homebuilders. Our partnership will promote use of environmental management systems by construction contractors, overcome barriers to improvement, and measure results.

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Compliance Assistance Guide for the Construction Industry

EPA's Office of Compliance has just published the Managing Your Environmental Responsibilities: A Planning Guide for Construction and Development (the MYER Guide). This assistance tool reflects significant input from stakeholders and is a product of joint effort by the industry, states, other federal agencies, non-governmental organizations and EPA.

The MYER Guide contains two different sets of checklists and detailed discussion/case studies on major environmental areas (including stormwater) affecting the construction industry. It is designed to help the construction industry understand which environmental regulations apply to them, and it can be used during different phases of a construction project. The industry can use the Guide at the Pre-Bid phase to learn about the applicable environmental requirements, so appropriate costs can be taken into consideration early. The industry can also use the responsibility-assignment checklist during the Pre-Construction phase to facilitate allocation of environmental responsibilities to all parties before breaking ground. In addition, the readers will find answers to many environmental questions and can conduct self audits by using the self-audit checklists, included in Part II of the Guide, during the Construction phase.

The MYER Guide is designed so that each of the checklists and chapters can be pulled out and used in the field. You can download an electronic copy of the guide from the Construction Industry Compliance Assistance Center Exit EPA Disclaimer or EPA's Compliance Assistance. Hard copies, at no extra cost, are available from the National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP) at (800) 490-9198. Please specify document number EPA305-B-04-003 when you request a copy.

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Diesel Emission Reductions

Cleaner Diesels: Low Cost Ways to Reduce Emissions from Construction Equipment, March 2007 (PDF) (38 pp, 433K, About PDF).

Emission Reduction Incentives for Off-Road Diesel Equipment Used in the Port and Construction Sectors (PDF) (94 pp, 588K, About PDF), dated May 19, 2005, informs the development of incentives to reduce diesel emissions from off-road equipment used in the port and construction sectors. This report contributed to the EPA Clean Air Act Advisory Committee's recommendations for reducing diesel emissions (PDF) (92 pp, 530K, About PDF).

Revisions in the final Emissions Reduction Incentives report reflect comments made on the January 21st draft. More than a dozen sets of written comments were received. In addition, the final report reflects discussions held on January 26th at the Clean Ports USA Workshop; on March 8th at the Clean Diesel and Retrofit Workgroup and Subgroup meetings for Ports and Construction; and on March 15th at the Diesel Retrofit Forum at the annual convention of The Associated General Contractors of America. We want to especially thank all those who took time to be interviewed for the report and/or provided comments.

We expect this report will have broad appeal to anyone interested in learning what kinds of incentives show potential for helping businesses in other sectors reduce their emissions.

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Environmental Management Systems

In September 2004, Sector Strategies released a brochure highlighting the benefits of EMS implementation at construction facilities. Environmental Management Systems: Systematically Improving your Performance (PDF) (787K, 12 pp, About PDF) was created in partnership with the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). The AGC is working with EPA's Sector Strategies Program an National Environmental Performance Track to help the construction industry embrace EMSs.

AGC is a Network Partner in EPA's National Environmental Performance Track program.

An EMS is a continual cycle of planning, implementing, reviewing and improving the processes and actions that an organization undertakes to meet its business and environmental goals. Most EMSs are built on the "Plan, Do, Check, Act" model:

According to AGC, its EMS template will help AGC members (1) to achieve and maintain compliance with environmental requirements, (2) to meet owner demands for green construction (including recycling and use of sustainable materials), and if a company desires, (3) to achieve environmental certifications (such as ISO, LEEDs, and EPA's PT Program)

Sector Strategies has prepared other business case arguments for using EMS and will help AGC conduct EMS training seminars.

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Regulatory Innovation

We are examining regulations and policies that affect the construction industry, looking for ways to reduce the burden of compliance and improve environmental performance. EPA regulations cover:

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Measuring Results

EPA has been lacking data to assess environmental performance of the construction industry. Read the Construction chapter of the Sector Strategies Performance Report. In 2007, a cross-EPA team examined appropriate measures of performance and availability of data from sources outside EPA. Our September 2007 report, Measuring Construction Industry Environmental Performance (PDF) (424K, 42pp, About PDF), recommends ways to chart the industry's progress in green construction, debris management, diesel air emissions, stormwater permit coverage, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The recommended measures will be used in EPA's forthcoming 2008 Sector Strategies Performance Report.

The Sector Strategies Program also is working together with EPA's Office of Compliance (OC) to provide useful assistance services to the construction industry (see Related Links below).

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Primary EPA contacts

EPA Headquarters

Peter Truitt (truitt.peter@epa.gov)
National Construction Sector Point-of-Contact
(202) 566-2970

Emily Chow (chow.emily@epa.gov) -- Construction Workgroup Leader
Office of Compliance
(202) 564-7071

Seth Heminway (heminway.seth@epa.gov) -- Project Manager, Construction Industry Compliance Assistance Center
Office of Compliance
(202) 564-7017

Kevin Easley (easley.kevin@epa.gov) -- Performance Track Network Point-of-Contact
Performance Incentives Division
(202) 566-2873

Tim Stuart (stuart.tim@epa.gov) -- Performance Track EMS Lead
Performance Incentives Division
(202) 566-2946

Daniel Eddinger (eddinger.daniel@epa.gov)
Small Business Division
(202) 566-2820

Gwen DiPietro (dipietro.gwen@epa.gov) -- Resource Conservation Challenge, c & d debris
Municipal and Industrial Solid Waste Division
703-308-8285

Alison Kinn Bennett (kinn.alison@epa.gov) -- Sustainable Building Projects
Pollution Prevention Division, Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program
(202) 564-8859, (202) 564-9299

EPA Regions

Region 1

Mary Dever (dever.mary@epa.gov)
617-918-1717

Abby Swaine (swaine.abby@epa.gov)
617-918-1841

Jeri Weiss (weiss.jeri@epa.gov)
617-918-1568

Region 2

Tristan Gillespie (gillespie.tristan@epa.gov)
212-637-3753

John Gorman (gorman.john@epa.gov)
212-637-4008

Kathleen Malone (malone.kathleen@epa.gov)
212-637-4083

Region 3

David Byro (byro.david@epa.gov)
215-814-5563

Richard Daly (daly.richard@epa.gov)
215-814-5535

Lorna Rosenberg (rosenberg.lorna@epa.gov)
215-814-5389

Chuck Schadel (schadel.chuck@epa.gov)
215-814-5761

Janet Viniski (viniski.janet@epa.gov)
215-814-2999

Region 4

Delane Anderson (anderson.catherine@epa.gov)
404-562-9681

Region 5

Uylaine Barringer (barringer.uylaine@epa.gov)
312-886-4454

Abeer Hashem (hashem.abeer@epa.gov)
312-886-1331

Linda Mangrum (mangrum.linda@epa.gov)
312-353-2071

Paul Ruesch (ruesch.paul@epa.gov)
312-886-7598

Donna Twickler (twickler.donna@epa.gov)
312-886-6184

Region 6

Diana McDonald (mcdonald.diana@epa.gov)
214-665-7495

Bonnie Romo (romo.bonnie@epa.gov)
214-665-8323

Everett Spencer (spencer.everett@epa.gov)
214-665-8060

Region 7

Carol Levalley (levalley.carol@epa.gov)
913-551-7610

Region 8

Liz Rogers (rogers.liz@epa.gov)
303-312-6974

Region 9

Angela Baranco-Mason (baranco.angela@epa.gov)
415-947-4262

Ellen Blake (blake.ellen@epa.gov)
415-947-3496

Jim Grove (grove.jim@epa.gov)
415-947-4263

Timonie Hood (hood.timonie@epa.gov)
415-972-3282

Elizabeth Janes (janes.elizabeth@epa.gov)
415-972-3537

Kathi Moore (moore.kathi@epa.gov)
415-972-3505

Andrew Sallach (sallach.andrew@epa.gov)
415-972-3503

Region 10

Kristine Karlson (karlson.kristine@epa.gov)
206-553-0290

Robyn Meeker (meeker.robyn@epa.gov)
206-553-7154

Jeanne Odell (odell.jeanne@epa.gov)
206-553-6919

Misha Vakoc (vakoc.misha@epa.gov)
206-553-6650

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Trade Association

Associated General Contractors of America Exit EPA Disclaimer -- Offers many environmental services, including information on its partnership with Sector Strategies Exit EPA Disclaimer , green construction and recycling advances, environmental management systems, and environmental issues (some AGC resources are for association members only)

Leah Wood (woodl@agc.org) -- Senior Counsel, Environmental Law
703-837-5332

Melinda Tomaino Flores (tomainom@agc.org) -- Environmental Program Coordinator
703-837-5415

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