More Resources—Air

General

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
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, etc.). Use it to factor in costs during the bidding process, assign responsibilities and use the checklists to self-audit.

CFCs

Clean Air Act Regulations Related to CFCs [EPA, Website]
Ozone Depletion Rules & Regulations--Under Title VI of the Clean Air Act (CAA), EPA's Global Programs Division is responsible for several programs that protect the stratospheric ozone layer. Information on each program is provided below, as well as on the sidebar to the left. Policy implementation is not complete without effective enforcement; the enforcement section highlights major enforcement efforts undertaken by EPA and other agencies to protect the ozone layer. Electronic copies of all stratospheric ozone protection regulations are available at the Regulations Page. In addition, paper copies of all regulations and supporting documentation are available at EPA's Air and Radiation Docket.

Road Construction

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.