In July, as part of a highly-competitive national grant competition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $156 million in clean diesel grants, including $3 million to the Minnesota Environmental Initiative to support voluntary retrofit efforts by members of AGC of Minnesota and other diesel users throughout the state. The money will be used to retrofit, repower or replace heavy diesel equipment, as authorized by the Diesel Emission Reduction Program and funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

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New safety concerns regarding the management of coal combustion wastes may spark first-time federal rules that could jeopardize the future use of fly ash in the construction of roads and buildings.  Last December, a containment failure at a Tennessee-based waste impoundment released approximately 1 billion gallons of coal ash sludge into the adjoining rivers and neighborhood, resulting in more than $1 billion in clean up costs.  The accident has brought the public's attention to the hundreds of similar impoundments nationwide and triggered an evaluation of how effectively states and the federal government are addressing the storage and disposal of coal combustion waste.

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During October, AGC of America will hold regional town-hall-style conference calls on environmental issues.  The calls are free and open to members of AGC's Environmental Network and AGC Chapter Staff. Participants will hear brief updates on the hot environmental topics of the day. The calls will provide time for participants' questions and discussion of their concerns.

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The fourth and final installment of AGC's summary of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2454) explains the major provisions of Title IV (Transitioning to a Clean Energy Economy) of interest to the construction industry.

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The U.S. Senate is drafting a comprehensive bill to address climate and energy, and it is basing that work on a related bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.  The third installment of AGC's summary of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2454) highlights the major provisions of Title III (Reducing Global Warming Pollution), which identifies reduction goals and establishes a cap-and-trade program to reduce emissions from major sources.

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