Construction
** Read Sector Strategies 2008 Performance Report
Construction and Climate - Potential for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Construction Sector
No single construction company is a significant greenhouse gas contributor, but the carbon footprint of the entire sector is substantial because the industry is so large. Sector Strategies' February 2009 report, Potential for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Construction Sector, documents the industry's emissions and examines ways to reduce them. The report presents one scenario for cutting emissions by millions of tons per year.Download the Construction Sector Report (PDF) (49 pp, 803K, About PDF)
Contact
Peter Truitt (truitt.peter@epa.gov)
National Construction Sector Point-of-Contact
(202) 566-2970
Construction Links
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.
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 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.
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.
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) (12 pp, 787K, 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:
- Planning, including identifying environmental aspects and establishing goals;
- Implementing, including training and operational controls;
- Checking, including monitoring and corrective action; and
- Reviewing, including progress reviews and acting to make needed changes to the EMS.
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.
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:
- Water effluent guidelines and storm water discharge permits,
- Wetlands dredge and fill discharge permits,
- Hazardous chemical and oil spill planning & reporting requirements,
- Solid and hazardous waste management,
- Hazardous waste cleanup and brownfields redevelopment,
- Asbestos releases,
- Air pollution standards and voluntary programs for mobile and stationary sources and requirements for state transportation plans to conform with air quality plans.
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) (42pp, 424K, 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).
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
Trade Association
Associated General Contractors of America -- Offers many environmental services, including information on its partnership with Sector Strategies , 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
Links
Within EPA
- National Environmental Performance Track Program
- EPA-sponsored Construction Industry Compliance Assistance Center (National Center for Manufacturing Sciences) -- Plain English explanations of environmental rules for construction sector
- National Environmental Compliance Assistance Clearinghouse -- Quick access to compliance assistance information
- Compliance assistance publications -- Federal Environmental Requirements for Construction and List of Compliance Assistance Tools for Construction Sites
- Construction & Demolition Debris
- Green Buildings
- EPA Small Business Ombudsman
- EPA EMS Website -- Overview of EMS with links to EMS guidance and programs
- EPA's Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange Network (residential construction hub)
Other resources
- P2Rx Topic Hub: Residential Construction -- Web links and other pollution prevention resources
- ENERGY STAR -- Information about ENERGY STAR new homes and homebuilders
- Construction & demolition debris recyclers
- U.S. Green Building Council -- LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
- Engineering News Record -- Features a variety of construction industry data, including a number of lists of top-ranked firms in several different categories
- BuildingGreen, Inc. -- Publishes Environmental Building News a newsletter that focuses on green construction practices, trends, products, and related information