Federal
Environmental Requirements for Construction [EPA]
This guide provides information on federal environmental requirements for construction
projects. It is written primarily for owners of construction projects and for
general contractors who supervise construction projects. Subcontractors also
may find the information useful.
EPA strongly recommends that homeowners make every effort not to disturb vermiculite insulation in their attics [EPA, brochure]
The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), in conjunction with the Agency for Toxic Substances
and Disease
Registry (ATSDR), is launching
a national awareness campaign to provide consumers with important information
on vermiculite attic insulation. A major component of their campaign
is a consumer guidance brochure (see download below). Their brochure
provides instructions on how to identify vermiculite attic insulation and
recommends that consumers make every effort not to disturb it. These
precautions are necessary due to the potential for vermiculite attic insulation
to contain small amounts of asbestos fibers. The consumer guidance
brochure provides the following recommendations for homeowners:
- Consumers should not
disturb vermiculite attic insulation. Any disturbance
has the potential to release asbestos fibers into the air.
- Homeowners should limit
the number of trips to attic space and shorten the duration of absolutely
essential trips. People should not store
boxes or other items in attics if retrieving the material will disturb
the insulation.
- Children should not be allowed to play in an attic with open areas of vermiculite
insulation.
- Homeowners should never
attempt to remove vermiculite insulation. For removal, or if you plan
to remodel or conduct renovations that would disturb the vermiculite, professionals
trained and certified to handle
asbestos should be hired to safely remove the material.
Download EPA brochure: Current
Best Practices for Vermiculite Attic Insulation.
Managing Your Environmental Responsibilities (MYER) - A Planning Guide for
Construction and Development This document explains in detail the environmental
obligations that construction companies can face across the various federal
laws (stormwater, air, wetlands, waste...). Use it to factor in costs
during the bidding process, assign responsibilities and use the checklists
to self-audit.
Associated
General Contractors of America: Designing for Effective Sediment and Erosion
Control on Construction Sites Click on the "BOOKSTORE" button at the top of the home page to log in. (AGC members: $59.95; non-members:
$90.00) [AGC of America, book]
This book provides contractors, developers, and designed with proven and
practical methods for minimizing erosion and sedimentation on construction
sites. It lists basic cost-effective steps for installing, maintaining
and inspecting erosion and sediment controls to avoid fines and achieve
regulatory compliance. This book also contains dozens of illustrated diagrams
and planning tools that can be put to use immediately and identifies the
limited practicality of certain best management practices. 2001
Toolbase
Services: Construction Waste Management Web Site [Toolbase Services, Website
The Home Building Industry's Technical Information Resource
Oikos:
Construction Site Waste Management Web site [Oikos, Website]
Reduce your home building costs with cost-effective techniques of construction
waste management. This 32-page field guide presents several construciton
waste management approaches builders and provides real-world case studies
to support the recommended actions. The field guide is based on numerous
waste assessments, workshops, and pilot projects involving builders and
waste haulers. The case studies in the field guide include framing waste
reduction exercises, job site recycling strategies, and marketing approaches
from several regions of the United States. Appendices contain references
and supporting documents.
Peaks
to Prairies Residential Construction Technical Assistance [Peaks to Prairies, Website]
Resource efficient building practices will allow residential construction
professionals to meet consumer demand, increase profits, provide savings
for the consumer and enhance marketing opportunities while using resources
in a sustainable manner.
MCET:
Environmentally Sound Practices in the Homebuilding Industry [MCET, Video]
You can order this video training package has been prepared for use by
developers, homebuilders, architects and planners, and local government
plan approval authorities to train their staffs in the basic principles
of pollution prevention and environmental compliance for homebuilding
projects. Topic areas include the environmental impacts of homebuilding,
best management practices for habitat preservation and stormwater management,
as well as best management practices for erosion and sediment control.
Transportation
Conformity Regulations and Guidance [EPA, Website]
This final rule changes two provisions of the conformity rule. The first
change will implement a 2000 Clean Air Act amendment that provides a one-year
conformity grace period for areas that are designated nonattainment for
the first time. The second change revises the timing for determining conformity
following the initial submission of a state air quality plan. The Federal
Register Notice for this final rule was published on August 6, 2002.
Land
Development - Colorado SBAP [CO CDPHE, Document]
Land development construction projects are frequently associated with
the release fugitive dust or particulate matter when native soil is disturbed,
soil is stockpiled, as project vehicles travel on unpaved roads or when
mud/dirt is carried out onto paved roadways . Particulate matter is regulated
as an "Air Pollutant" by the Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment, Air Pollution Control Division (Division).
Permits
for the construction of Indirect Sources of Air Pollution [CTDEP, Website]
This permit program, administered by the Bureau of Air Management, applies
only to the construction of highway projects which will become part of
the state highway system. The purpose of the program is to ensure that
new highway projects meet all applicable state and national ambient air
quality standards. Because highway projects are the focus of this program,
the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) applies for most of
the indirect source permits in the state. However, any private developer
who plans to build a road which connects with the state highway, such
as a mall located next to the interstate, may need to obtain an indirect
source permit.
