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Legislative and Government
Affairs |
AGC Oregon-Columbia
protects your legislative and regulatory interests
at the federal, state, and local level with a staff, a local, award-winning
lobbying firm, and a well-respected chapter lobbyist
in Washington, D.C. Issues that are important to you are
proactively addressed with AGC's expertise,
influence, and governmental access.
For more information
about AGC's legislative and government relations
activities, contact Public Affairs Director
John Rakowitz, 503-682-3363 or 800-826-6610.
Hot Topics
1 200-C
Construction General Permit
The Department of
Environmental Quality is currently
in the process of reissuing the
1200-C Permit. This permit is
required for the discharge of
stormwater from any construction
site that disturbs one acre or more
through clearing, grading, and
excavation operations. The permit is
also necessary for projects that
disturb less than one acre, if that
project is part of a larger plan
that will disturb one acre or more.
The current permit expires on
November 30, 2010.
Significant changes
to the draft permit include:
- Automatic
permit coverage for some
construction activities. DEQ
proposes that some construction
activities do not have to
formally apply for a 1200-C
permit. Construction activities
in certain local jurisdictions
regulated by a DEQ-approved
erosion and sediment control
program are eligible for
automatic coverage and not
required to submit a permit
application to DEQ.
- A simplified
permitting process for lots less
than one acre, if these lots are
part of a common plan of
development. This means that if
a developer obtains permit
coverage for a large project,
such as a housing subdivision,
then divides the site into
smaller lots for sale to
builders in a “common plan of
development,” these smaller lots
must be covered by a permit. DEQ
will streamline the permit
coverage process through a
permit transfer process.
- A new
turbidity monitoring requirement
and daily average effluent limit
for construction activity
disturbing 10 or more acres. DEQ
added this to comply with new
EPA effluent limit guidelines.
However, the EPA effluent limit
guidelines are likely to be put
on hold until February 2012.
This portion of the new Oregon
1200-C permit is currently under
review and may change.
The new draft
permit is currently up for
public comment. All comments are
due by 5 pm on September 28,
2010. To access a copy of the
draft permit and to learn how
you can comment, please visit
DEQ’s Water Quality Permit
Program website by
clicking here.
DEQ will also
hold four public hearings at the
following locations:
Portland
Thurs, September
16
Start time: 6:00
pm
DEQ Headquarters
811 SW Sixth Avenue,
10th floor, Room EQC-A |
Eugene
Tues,
September 21
Start time: 6:00 pm
DEQ Eugene Office,
165 E. Seventh Ave. |
Bend
Mon,
September 20
Start time: 6:00 pm
DEQ Bend Office, 475
NE Bellevue |
Medford
Wed, September
22
Start time: 6:00 pm
DEQ Medford Office,
221 Stewart Avenue |
To access a
copy of the draft permit please
visit DEQ’s Water Quality Permit
Program website by clicking
here. For additional information
please contact Public Affairs
Specialist
Allison Koenker,
503-682-3363 or 800-826-6610.
E nvironmental
Regulations
At the Annual AGC Convention the Public
Affairs Team organized a breakout session
focused on new environmental regulations
that will directly impact the industry. A
panel of experts including Dave Ross,
general manager of Knife River Materials,
Klamath Falls Operations; Connie Sue Martin,
an environmental lawyer with Bullivant,
Houser, Bailey PC; and our own Public
Affairs Director John Rakowitz, offered
their insight into the following topics:
Truck Efficiency and Truck Idling
House Bill 2186, passed during the
2009 Legislative Session, gave the
Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
the go-ahead to study potential truck
efficiency and idling regulations. Both
regulations may potentially impact
portions of our industry’s fleets.
If DEQ is authorized in 2011 to move
forward with these regulations, they
will come into effect January 1, 2015.
For technical information regarding
these potential regulations please visit
DEQ’s website by clicking
here.
For information regarding the
potential impact of these regulations
and exemptions on your business, and to
find out how you can get involved,
please access AGC’s presentation on
Truck Efficiency and Truck Idling by
clicking
here.
If you have further questions,
comments, or suggestions please contact
Public Affairs Specialist
Allison Koenker,
503-682-3363 or 800-826-6610.
Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)
House Bill 2186 authorized the
Environmental Quality Commission to
adopt rules for low carbon fuel
standards. The rule will require
emissions to be reduced by an average of
10% from 2010 levels by 2020. It will be
the responsibility of the petroleum
manufacturers and distributors to meet
these standards, but these standards
could potentially affect the
availability and the price of fuels.
The standards will be implemented on
a graduated scale from 2012–2020.
For technical information regarding
the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, please
visit DEQ’s LCFS website by clicking
here.
To access an implementation schedule
and to find out about opportunities for
input, please look through AGC’s
presentation on the LCFS by clicking
here.
If you have further questions,
comments, or suggestions please contact
Allison Koenker,
503-682-3363 or 800-826-6610.
Construction and Development Effluent
Limitations Guidelines
Adopted by the EPA on December 1,
2009 this new rule imposes minimum best
management practices (BMPs) on all
construction projects that require a
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) stormwater permit. The
new rule also sets a numeric effluent
limit for turbidity of stormwater
leaving a construction site. The
deadline for compliance is August 1,
2011.
For the specific requirements, permit
details, and additional information
please click
here.
If you have further questions
regarding meeting the new rule or its
requirements please contact
Allison Koenker,
503-682-3363 or 800-826-6610.
Lead-Based Paint
In 2008 the EPA implemented a new
rule for paid contractors and
maintenance workers who renovate
pre-1978 housing, childcare facilities,
or schools. The rule went into effect on
April 22, 2010 and requires renovators
to be trained in the use of lead safe
work practices, to obtain certification,
and to follow specific work standards,
and also requires providers of
renovation services to be certified.
To find out more about this new
regulation please click
here.
If you have further questions,
comments, or suggestions please contact
Allison Koenker,
503-682-3363 or 800-826-6610.
New CCB Requirements
Questions about the new CCB
requirements?
Click
here for information on the new law,
continuing education requirements, and bond and
insurance requirements.
New Washington State Sales Tax Requirements
Washington State Senate Bill 6173, effective
January 1, 2010, eliminates the use of
resale certificates, and requires that
“reseller permits” be used by businesses.
Permits are issued by the Department of
Revenue to qualifying businesses, and they
are free. The reseller permit changes the
process from an “honor” system with audits,
to a managed system with oversight.
Read
more...
Oregon
Legislative Scorecards
2010 Special Session
2009 Legislative Session
Washington Legislative Updates
Posted as received from the
Associated General Contractors of
Washington
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